


Asami's two little kittens

by AlexisStJohn



Category: Finder no Hyouteki | Finder Series
Genre: Anal Sex, Angst, Animals, Beating, Fluff, Kidnapping, M/M, Oral Sex, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-12
Updated: 2015-05-24
Packaged: 2018-03-30 05:57:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 14
Words: 27,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3925408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexisStJohn/pseuds/AlexisStJohn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Akihito doesn't like the way Asami follows his every move, but rebelling against it only makes him feel even more like a teenager. Then one night, after drinking too much sake, Akihito accidentally reveals a secret to Asami. The consequences are severe, to say the least, but fortunately every cloud has its silver lining.</p><p>Also included: baby-Asami and a kitten.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Akihito padded across Asami’s bedroom floor rubbing his wet hair with a plush towel. It was late in the evening and the sky outside the penthouse windows was dark blue, almost black. It had been a long day and Akihito was glad to be back home. Asami had arrived long before him and was already in bed, but still awake. 

After the confrontation with Sudou a couple of weeks ago, Akihito had taken up the habit of sleeping in Asami’s bed, curled up next to him. They never spoke about it, but on some nights Akihito still woke up from a nightmare, gasping for air and shaking with fear. 

Letting his towel fall on a nearby chair, Akihito walked over to the bed. Without saying a word he climbed on the bed laying himself on top of Asami, resting his head on Asami’s bare chest. The strong heartbeat soothed Akihito and made him feel safe and less vulnerable.

Resting his hand on Akihito’s bottom Asami began to make small circles with his other hand on the small of his back.  
“What did you do today?”  
“I took some photos of a celebrity wedding.” Akihito wondered why Asami always asked about his day even though he had someone continuously tail him and knew everything about Akihito’s comings and goings.  
“And…?”  
“And what?”  
“Is that all you did?” Asami’s voice was very calm, but Akihito could hear an undertone in it.  
His hand had stopped its movement as if he was waiting for something.

Akihito lifted his head giving Asami a questioning look.  
“Well… I ate lunch with Mitarai and I…umm…I… “ Akihito tried to think trough his day to find out what had Asami so rattled. After all the man should be used to him chasing scoops and getting into trouble.  
“Oh! After lunch I took a new guy from the office to a quick tour around the city. He’s from Sapporo, so he doesn’t know the city so well.”  
“So it was just a tour?”  
“Well, at one point we stopped by an alley where he fucked me into the wall, but other than that…” Akihito rolled his eyes, really, what did Asami think he had been doing?  
“He seemed to be very touchy feely with you,” Asami said, not even trying to hide the fact that he’d had his men shadowing Akihito’s every move.  
“I told you! He is form Sapporo. I guess people there are different, I don’t know!” Akihito huffed annoyed. Asami could be so infuriating when he got so possessive. 

Deciding to start sleeping, Akihito lifted himself off of Asami and drew the blankets closer. But before he was able to pull them over, Asami rolled on top of him effectively pinning him down. 

“Remember, I told you that anybody who touches you, I will erase.” His eyes were almost golden, like the eyes of a beast and his skin was so hot it was almost burning.  
“But he didn’t…he wasn’t…I was just showing him around the city!” Akihito struggled in vain in Asami’s iron grip.  
“I’m not cheating on you, you dumbmmfffh…” His words were cut short by Asami’s lips crushing his, his tongue demanding entrance to his mouth. Yielding, Akihito parted his lips and let his body go lax. There was no arguing with the man. He didn’t take no for an answer and wasted no opportunity to show just who Akihito belonged to. 

After satisfying himself, Asami lifted himself up in a fluid movment and removed Akihito’s pajama pants and his own. Taking a hold of Akihito’s ankles, he spread Akihito’s legs and settled between them.  
“I think you need a reminder of just who it is you belong to.”  
Akihito could feel himself blushing, being spread like this under Asami’s unwavering gaze. Asami had a way of stripping him bare and not just of his clothes. He wasn’t sure if could ever successfully hide anything from the man. And the most embarrassing part was that he wasn’t even sure he wanted to. A part of him wanted nothing more than for Asami to ravish him, claim him, own him and never let him go.

“But I didn’t do anything…” Akihito’s weak protests died down as Asami bit down on his neck, leaving behind an angry red mark. Akihito knew that Asami hated seeing the knife marks on his neck because they reminded him of the fact that somebody had laid their hands on Akihito. In a submissive gesture Akihito tipped his head back exposing his throat. Asami hovered over him for a short moment, eyes darkening, before he bent down again and licked the scarred skin. Forcing himself to stay relaxed, Akihito patted Asami soothingly on the back, waiting for him to finish his marking. Akihito wasn’t the only one who had wounds to heal.

After a few seconds Asami lifted himself up, licking his lips like a predator. He reached over to the nightstand and took out a bottle of lube from the drawer. Before opening the bottle, he ran his fingers over the cleft of Akihito’s bottom, rubbing the sensitive skin gently with his fingertips.  
Emitting a small whimper, Akihito found himself lifting his legs up and spreading them wider.  
With an amused smile, Asami coated his fingers with the gel and brought them back to Akihito’s opening. 

“So eager already…” He smirked pushing two fingers in slowly.  
“Shut upaaahh…” Akihito’s grumpy voice gave way to a sudden inhale as Asami’s fingers touched the spot in him that made his hips buckle. Asami continued to push his fingers in and out, adding a third finger and spreading them, until Akihito was practically sobbing and begging him to stop.  
“A-… Asami, stop! Please please please, I need you…aahh! As- Asami…in me, please…”

Asami pulled his fingers out and wiped them on his erect cock. He lifted Akihito’s legs over his own and bent forward lining his cock with Akihito’s thoroughly lubed hole.  
Towering over Akihito, muscles tensed, Asami looked Akihito straight in the eyes.  
“Who do you belong to?”  
“You…you, I belong to you.” Akihito lifted his hips trying to impale himself on Asami’s cock, but he pulled back.  
“Who is the only one allowed to touch you?” Asami’s body was immovable like a rock and his voice was dark.  
“You! Only you! I promise…please Asami…” Akihito’s voice was a desperate whisper.

Lowering his body Asami pushed inside until his hips were touching Akihito’s bottom.  
“Only me,” he said, punctuating the words with tip to base thrusts.  
“Yes! Oohh….more…harder, Asami.” Akihito lifted his hips in time with the thrusts, wanting Asami deeper and deeper inside him, opening him up and fucking him.  
“So good…so good…” He breathed and wrapped his legs around Asami’s hips and held on to his shoulders as they rocked together. 

After a while Asami quickened his pace making Akihito wail as he approached his climax. Asami wrapped his left hand around Akihito’s weeping cock, stroking it until Akihito’s body went rigid. Clinging on to Asami’s neck Akihito rode out his trembles while Asami was still thrusting in him.  
“So tight, my Takaba,” Asami said in a guttural voice, pushing in one last time and then stopping his body while breathing heavily. Akihito could feel Asami filling him with his cum and he released an involuntary shudder as the thought made him feel as if Asami had somehow marked him.  
Lifting himself up, Asami pulled his slick cock out of Akihito’s body and settled on the bed next to him. Akihito, sighing contentedly, snuggled close to Asami, nuzzling at his neck and breathing in Asami’s unique scent. After a while he fell asleep with Asami’s heavy hand resting on his bare bottom and his warm breath gusting on his hair.


	2. Chapter 2

“We are leaving in ten minutes. Get up.” Asami pulled the blanket off of a drowsy Akihito.  
“Who is…we…what?” Akihito was struggling to get up and understand what was happening. A fully dressed Asami was standing in front of him, clearly expecting Akihito to launch himself into action, as ordered.   
“I have a business meeting in Yokohama and you’re coming with me.”  
“I’m not going anywhere, this is my day off and it’s not even eleven yet,” Akihito mumbled grumpily and curled himself into a ball on the bed pulling the covers tighter.  
“So, you want me to carry you to the car like that, naked…?”   
“What?! You can’t do that! I’m not…you have not right to just…Stop!” Akihito yelped as Asami made a move towards him.  
“Either you get up on your own or I will…”   
“Fine, fine! I’m coming.” Akihito grumbled and staggered to his feet.   
“But don’t expect me to be happy!” he yelled after Asami who was already on his way out. 

After dressing himself hastily in jeans and a t-shirt, Akihito took his bag with the camera in it and followed Asami out of the apartment. 

Muttering under his breath about brutish people and their rude manners Akihito plunked himself on the back seat of Asami’s black Mercedes. Kirishima, Asami’s right-hand assistant, took the driver’s seat while four of Asami’s bodyguards followed them in another black car. 

“Why do I have to come along?”   
“Because I want you to. There is an amusement park near the hotel, where the meeting will take place, so you’ll have something to do. Afterwards we’ll go and eat something.”  
“What am I, a child? This is ridiculous!”  
“Well, you’ve made it patently clear that you can’t be trusted to take care of yourself, so…” Asami shrugged his shoulders.  
“I am an adult!” Akihito nearly shouted, very aware of just how childish he sounded.  
“Of course you are.” Asami patted a very disgruntled Akihito on the head sounding supremely unconcerned.

After a short ride they arrived at the Yokohama Grand hotel. Asami, Kirishima and three bodyguards entered the hotel. Akihito was ushered to the other car with Honda, one of the bodyguards. He drove Akihito to the amusement park, completely ignoring Akihito’s protests, and bought him tickets from the front gate.

While still very much annoyed, Akihito decided that he might as well try to enjoy the day and the beautiful weather. And some of the rides were pretty fun, even though he was never going to admit that to Asami. He especially took delight in the Ferris wheel and the spectacular view it offered from the top. He even got some good pictures of Yokohama and Tokyo Bay. 

After four hours Akihito was nonetheless ready to head home. Luckily the bodyguard assigned to watch after him, Honda, told him that it was time to head back to the hotel as Asami’s meeting had ended.

He was taken back to the hotel and in the restaurant where Asami was already waiting for him, the table in front of him filled with food. Rice balls filled with salmon, chirashi sushi, grilled mackerel and udon noodles with mountain vegetables.

“Food food food!” Akihito chanted happily as he made his way to the table. “I’m starving!” he declared as he seated himself.   
“Did you have a fun day at the amusement park?” An amused looking Asami picked up the delicate chopsticks placed next to his table.  
“No.” Akihito didn’t want to look Asami in the eyes, because he was sure Asami knew he was lying, focusing his attention to the food instead.  
“Oohh…I’m going to eat so much you’ll have to roll me to the car,” Akihito sighed flailing his chopsticks in the air as if he couldn’t decide where to start. 

Both men sampled the delicious food and washed it down with sake. Akihito would have preferred water, but he’d already been treated as a child today and he sure as heck wasn’t going to give Asami another chance at making fun of him.

“Careful, that is your fourth cup,” Asami noted as Akihito gulped down the potent drink.  
“I can handle it!” Akihito retorted in an overconfident manner even though he was already beginning to feel a bit wobbly. Good thing he was sitting on the sofa next to the wall, as he would probably have already fallen of the chair, Akihito giggled to himself.   
Eating and drinking until he was full to the brim, Akihito kept chattering to Asami about recent events, his words becoming more and more incoherent as the alcohol began to have its effect. 

“You think you’re the ooonly one who can handle alcohol, don’t you?”  
“No. But you can’t.” Asami replied while eyeing Akihito’s rebellious mien with an amusement.   
“Pfftt… I’ll show you… ” Akihito muttered and poured himself another cup of sake. 

***

“And another thing… Why do you always have…a man following me? I don’t need a baby…sitter… I’m a photo...photographerr… I do serious business.” Akihito slurred while bracing himself, or trying to, on the tabletop.   
“And the things I do for you… You have no idea… no idea…” Akihito looked forlornly at the tabletop and blinked a few times as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.   
“I was just trying to help you…that’s why I went to the club. His club. Sazasii…Zaza…” Burping quietly and then giggling Akihito tried to focus his gaze on Asami’s hazel eyes, but couldn’t quite stop the room around him from spinning and ended up looking at the tabletop again. At least it stayed put.

While trying to get a hold of the incoherent thoughts floating around in his head, Akihito had a vague feeling of being picked up by strong arms. Fumbling around he felt the soft material of a suit and buttons. 

“Asami!” he exclaimed happily, if somewhat blurry. “You came…hic…to get me… I knew you would,” Akihito let his head drop against Asami’s warm chest.   
“I knew…when that man made me…hic…” Akihito sniffed a little as if moved by his memories and then burped loudly.   
“When he… Saza…Sakazii… hic…he made me do it…suck his…ugly penis, I didn’t want to…only you…yours…hic…I tho- thought about you all the time…” Akihito wiped his tears on Asami’s tie and rubbed his face and nose the pale blue dress shirt.   
“You smell sooo good… Maybe I could bottle your smell and sell it. But I would buy every bot- bottle…nobody can have your smell…only me…” 

Yawning a little Akihito fell in a slumber, blissfully unaware of the murderous expression on the face of the man carrying him.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning Akihito woke up in his own bed with a hangover. After a long shower and some very ungraceful attempts at dressing himself, Akihito wandered in the kitchen wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt with the inside out. 

“Oohh…whyyy did I have to drink so much,” Akihito moaned and set the coffee maker on. He had a headache the size of Mount Fuji and even the mere thought of food made his stomach issue a warning rumble. The only thing he wanted right now was a painkiller and a cup of black, steaming hot coffee. 

Asami was nowhere to be seen and Akihito thought about calling him, but if Asami had left early, it probably meant that he had a lot of work to do. He had been very busy lately, especially after the recent drama with Sudou and Kuroda-san being shot. 

Akihito felt around his neck with his fingertips for the fading scar. He was sure that if the police hadn’t been there, Asami would have shot Sudou on the spot. And there was no telling that he still wouldn’t do something to him. Akihito didn’t have any doubts that Asami’s power extended even beyond the stonewalls of prison or a hospital. Asami didn’t take being betrayed lightly.

***

“Kirishima, you’ve had someone following Akihito every day?” Asami asked from the backseat of his car.  
“Yes, Asami-sama. Honda and Fukui have been guarding him every day. But I’ve told them to keep a distance, I thought it might make it easier for Akihito-kun.” Kirishima answered driving the car to the parking lot of the skyscraper where Asami’s office was located.   
“I want them right next to Akihito, wherever he goes.”  
“I’ll let them know that, Asami-sama.”

Though Asami had not said anything, Kirishima knew his boss well enough to know that something was bothering him. But he also knew better than to ask what was wrong. It probably had something to do with Akihito, the boy was unusually gifted in getting himself in trouble.

Asami opened the door to his office and walked over to his desk putting his briefcase on the floor and unbuttoning his jacket. The sun shone brightly through the big windows and Kirshima lowered the blinds halfway. 

“Do you know of a man called Sakazii or something on those lines? Does he have something to do with Akihito?” Asami asked as he sat down in the big, black leather chair.   
“I believe the man you are referring to is Sakazaki, Asami-sama. I don’t know very much about him, just that he is a club owner, though the club in question is a second rate establishment at best. I think he also has something to do with narcotics, but all in all he is a small-time criminal, a wannabe gangster if you will. I’m not aware of him having anything to do with Akihito, but that shouldn’t be too hard to find out. ”  
“I want to know everything about him. And by everything I mean everything.” Asami said with a cold look in his eyes.  
“Yes, Asami-sama.” Kirishama bowed with his head and retreated from Asami’s room and walked over to his desk. 

He picked up his mobile phone from his jacket's inner pocket and dialed Honda’s number.   
“Moshi moshi,” he heard Honda’s tired voice from the other end of the line. The young man was probably still in bed.   
“Honda, is Fukui with Akihito?”  
“Uh…yes, I think so. No, I mean yes, yes, he is. Absolutely. Or, I mean, he is still waiting for Akihito to leave the apartment.” From the sound of it, Honda was trying to marshal his sleepy thoughts in order.   
“Do you want me to call him? I’ll be joining him shortly.”  
“No. Has Akihito met with a man called Sakazaki?”  
“Not while we’ve been watching after him. I can check our log, if you want me to. We’ve been writing down the names of everyone he’s been in contact with and the names of the places he’s been to, as per your order.”  
“Good, do that and call me as soon as you have an answer. If you find nothing, a text message will suffice.” 

Kirishima ended the call and sat down behind his desk and logged in on his laptop. Scanning quickly through his personal archives he found almost nothing on Sakazaki, which indicated that the man had never before appeared on Asami’s radar. Until now. 

Dialing another number Kirishima waited for an answer.  
“Yes?” came a quiet voice. 

The man always answered the phone in the same way. And the reason for the calls was always the same. He had only one job, but he was the best in his field, which is why Asami paid him handsomely every month to ensure that the man worked exclusively for him.

“I have a name for you. Sakazaki. He owns a club in Shinjuku. A small-time criminal,” Kirishima said.  
“Got it. Anything else?”  
“No. How long will it take?”  
“Oh, about a day. I’ll stop by the office tomorrow morning.”  
“Good.”  
Neither man said anything more and Kirishima slipped the phone back in his pocket.

***

With Sudou out of the picture, Asami had to find a replacement for him to manage the club Dracaena. Though it would take a while before the club could be reopened. Sudou had left a tangle of loose ends after him and having the police involved in the matter certainly didn’t make things easier. Asami went through a list of possible candidates in his head, but found it difficult to concentrate with Akihito’s words form last night still ringing in his ears. 

Someone had laid a hand on Akihito. A part of Asami, a very vocal part, was enraged at the very thought of Akihito allowing himself to be touched by another man and, even worse, for trying to hide it from him. 

But another part of him, the cold and analytical side of him that had ensured him his success and kept him safe all these years, knew that Akihito had not wanted to do it, even his own words had testified to it. Akihito wasn’t a deceitful person by nature and therefore couldn’t think like one. He had not been able to see the danger walking in that club and had probably genuinely thought that he could by information from a person like Sakazaki with his minuscule pocket money.   
Not that it made Asami feel any less enraged.

Asami rubbed his face with his hands and sighed. This feeling of constantly being worried for someone was a new thing to him and he couldn’t understand it. He had tried to solve the problem logically by ordering Akihito to stay at home and be safe, but the boy wouldn’t listen, wouldn’t obey. He kept involving himself in dangerous situations and needing to be rescued, but then refused flat out to follow Asami’s orders. Sometimes Asami didn’t know whether to spank him or to kiss him. 

And now this. This lowlife, wannabe gangster, who had dared to touch Asami Ruyichi’s personal property. And how. 

Asami had made sure the people he dealt with in the underworld knew Akihito Takaba was completely off limits and he knew that Sakazaki had known it too. Which meant that the man had openly defied Asami Ruyichi. Just like Sudou. 

In Asami’s world power was everything. The power to take what you wanted and the power to keep it. To have someone come along and touch your things…your most precious belongings… It was unpardonable. But it was more than that. It was a crack in the armor. It might make others, people like Sakazaki, think that Asami was weakening, that he wasn’t able to defend himself anymore.

Asami got up and walked over to the sideboard and poured himself a whiskey. Letting the potent liquid slide down his throat and warm his insides, Asami let his gaze wander over the view from the window. Mulling over his options, forming plans and calculating the odds he stood by the window for a long time.

***

Akihito leaned over the balcony rail, letting the wind blow on his face and wet hair. His headache was finally gone and he was feeling better. He’d been on an assignment for the paper, a local animal shelter had been rebuilt with the help of donations made by thousands of people after a disastrous fire that had not only destroyed the old shelter completely, but also killed several animals, cats, dogs and an old parrot. 

It had been a nice job, working with animals was always enjoyable, but it also made you want to take the animals with you back home. Maybe he could talk Asami into getting a little kitten? The idea of Asami Ryuichi playing with a small kitten made Akihito snicker. Now that would be worth a picture!  
Sighing deeply, Akihito gave his damp hair a one last shake and turned around to walk in. 

“Asami!” Akihito startled at the sight of the man standing at the balcony doorway. Asami was leaning against the metal frame of the sliding door with his hands crossed, watching Akihito intently.  
“What were you laughing at?”  
“I…it was a cat, no, I mean a kitten, I was, it was a job I did today.” Akihito struggled to find his composure. How had Asami been able to walk in so silently?

Asami walked towards Akihito forcing him to back up until he was pressed against the rail.   
“I was wondering…” Asami began as if he was just making lighthearted conversation.   
“I was wondering, when were you going to tell me about Sakazaki?”


	4. Chapter 4

Akihito felt the blood drain from his brain as he stared at Asami. When had Asami found out about Sakazaki and how? Had someone told him? But who could possibly have done that? Suddenly a blurry image from last night popped up in his mind, of him babbling to Asami about something while being carried to the car. Had it been Asami who had carried him? And what else had he blurted out while drunk?

“I- I wasn’t, it wasn’t… It’s not what you think. He made me do it because I was trying to find out the source of that scoop for you and I didn’t have enough money with me and he just…he just…overpowered me. It was just a blow…job.” As the word came out of his mouth, it sounded even more horrible in his ears.   
“It’s not like I wanted to do it! He just… overpowered me. You have to believe me!” Akihito pleaded with his voice, begging for Asami to believe him. 

But Asami stayed quiet and continued to look at Akihito with piercing eyes.  
“I nearly vomited afterwards! I didn’t tell you because… I was afraid you’d react like this…” Akihito couldn’t face Asami’s stony expression anymore and lowered his gaze, he was feeling miserable and horrified at the same time.   
“You have to know that the only person I want to be touched by is you…” 

Suddenly, with a quick move, Asami took a hold of Akihito by the throat and lifted him until he was tiptoeing.  
“So you thought lying would be a better option?”  
Akihito’s eyes flared as he strained to speak even though Asami had a tight hold on his throat.  
“I was afraid and embarrassed! I didn’t know how you would react!”  
After a few tense seconds Asami released his hold on Akihito’s throat, but grabbed him by the arm and dragged him in to the bedroom. Akihito had no choice but to follow as he was no match to Asami’s physical strength. Asami led him to stand next to a sideboard and let go of him.

“Bend over.”  
“What…? Asami, what are you-“ Akihito looked at Asami worried. He was rolling up the sleeves of his dress shirt. The expression on his face was cold, but at the same time there was something else there…a flicker of sorrow?   
“Bend. Over.”   
Akihito had never heard Asami talk so coldly to him. He wanted to apologize to him, to beg for his forgiveness, but at the same time he was afraid to say anything.

Asami pushed a button on the wall and a hidden cabinet door slid open, revealing a collection of bdsm-paraphernalia. Akihito looked at the whips, gags, handcuffs, vibrators, chains and paddles. Asami had used them on him before, but never like this, never in anger. But the look on Asami’s face told him disobeying now would only make things worse. Slowly Akihito bent over the sideboard, steadying himself with his hands to stop his body from shaking. He could hear Asami take something from the cabinet, but didn’t dare to turn around to see what it was.

“Pull down your pants and boxers.”  
“Asami, please, I’m sorry-“  
“Now.”  
With trembling hands Akihito pulled his sweatpants and boxers down to his knees and resumed his position. 

“Count.”   
“Count what- haaaahhh!” The whip cracked hitting Akihito on the softest part of his bottom. It felt like being licked by fire.   
“Count.” Asami’s voice sounded more like a growl than speech, but the message was clear.  
“O- one…” Akihito stuttered, still in shock. 

Never before had Asami felt like this. He wanted to punish Akihito, hurt him, but when he heard Akihito’s trembling voice, on the verge of crying, something inside him hurt so badly it took every inch of his willpower to force his hand to move.

The whip hit him again, a little harder this time. Akihito gasped for air, but forced himself to speak.  
“Two…”  
The third time the whip hit him Akihito opened his mouth in a silent scream and it took him a good while before he was able to say the word.  
“Th- three…”

Watching Akihito’s body tremble, Asami let his hand fall. He could hear Akihito trying to stifle his sobs as he turned around to put the whip back in the cabinet. Leaning on the wall and breathing deeply, Asami tried to regain his composure. He had thought that punishing Akihito would make him feel better, but it didn’t. Punishing Akihito for something he’d had no control over was absolutely pointless. He had lied to Asami, but that was about the only thing the boy could be accused of.

Asami watched Akihito slowly pull up his boxers and sweatpants. He was mostly silent, only occasional sniffling could be heard as he wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.

Asami walked over to him and turned him around. He looked Akihito straight in the eyes while holding him in a strong embrace.  
“Don’t ever lie to me again. Ever.”  
“I- I wo- won’t… I’m sorry…” Akihito whispered, leaning to rub his face on Asami’s shirt. His bottom hurt badly, but he also felt bad for lying to Asami. If he’d just told him immediately what had happened, it would have been much better. He didn’t want Asami for one second to think that he’d been cheating on him, that he would do something like that. And yet, that’s exactly what he had done.

“What are you going to do to Sakazaki?” Akihito asked quietly.  
“Before you ask me a question, you should ask yourself if you are sure you want to hear the answer.” Asami let go of Akihito and unbuttoned his shirt pulling it off his shoulders. 

Not knowing what to answer Akihito stood still watching Asami walk into the bathroom. 

The fate of Sakazaki bothered him. He didn’t like the man, that much was for sure, but he also didn’t want to have people murdered. Asami on the other hand, Akihito knew, didn’t have any problems whatsoever with violence. The burning on his bottom was a clear testament to that.

Akihito didn’t know exactly what Asami did for work, he had no idea what Asami did in his office every day he went there. He had heard Asami refer to his “clients” from time to time, but he didn’t know what these so called “clients” were buying from him. Akihito wasn’t stupid though. He knew that Asami was heavily involved in the underworld and drugs and other not-so-very-legal stuff. The fact that Asami never left the apartment without his gun holster, and that he was always surrounded by bodyguards, spoke volumes. 

Sighing, Akihito rubbed his bottom. It was no use wondering. Asami would do whatever he wanted to do, as he always had and always would. Akihito walked over to the kitchen, Asami would probably be hungry after his shower and Akihito wanted to try and restore things between them. 

While setting the table he wondered who had decorated Asami’s home and bought all the kitchen necessities. He certainly couldn’t see Asami wandering around shops picking spoons and plates or bed linens. It was likely that Kirishima had arranged it, maybe hired a beautiful and talented woman to create a stylish and well-equipped home for Asami. A twinge of jealousy presented itself in Akihito’s mind, but he shook it away.

The evening meal was simple, consisting of rice balls filled with umeboshi, yakitori, ramen and a few bottles of the imported beer Asami had delivered every week. Akihito placed chopsticks and napkins on the table and sat down, wincing a little when his sore skin touched the chair. Soon he heard the bathroom door open and the sound of Asami’s footsteps as he neared the dining area. 

Dressed in a white untied bathrobe and with damp hair strands hanging loosely over his eyes, he walked over to the table. Akihito found himself staring at the V-shape of his stomach muscles that disappeared under the waistband of his boxers. Asami was tall and his broad chest accentuated his narrow waist. His demeanor evoked a mental image of great strength being, barely, restrained. 

In an effort to avert his eyes from Asami’s body Akihito picked up his chopsticks and bowed his head slightly.  
“Itadakimasu.”   
After taking a seat and picking up his chopsticks, Asami reached for the yakitori while Akihito ate a rice ball with salty pickled plum filling.

“So, today I took some pictures of an animal shelter that had to be rebuilt after the old one got destroyed in a fire. There were some really cute kittens and puppies there. It got me thinking that it would be nice to have a cat here,” Akihito began to tell Asami about his day, hoping to uplift the mood.

“I had a cat when I was a child.”   
Asami’s unexpected words made Akihito inhale his food bringing on a violent cough attack.   
After coughing for what felt like at least three minutes and with a tomato-red face Akihito was finally able to ask.  
“A cat? You?   
“Yes.” Asami looked at Akihito with an almost indiscernible smile on his lips. 

In a hurry to capitalize on the rare opportunity of peeking behind the mask of Asami Ruyichi, Akihito asked with an air of feigned nonchalance:  
“What was your childhood like?”  
“Peaceful. Until I joined my fathers organization. Before that I spent most of my days in our garden at home playing with my mother, grandmother and our animals.”

Akihito was pretty sure his jaw was going to dislocate itself the way it was hanging, but the mere idea of Asami Ruyichi having been a small child was simply too much for his brain to comprehend. Suddenly an idea popped up in his head.  
“Do you have any pictures of you? As…as a baby...?”   
“Maybe.”

Somewhere on the distance a small part of his brain was informing Akihito that there was rice falling from his open mouth to his lap, but it took a good while before he was able to close his mouth and swallow, both the rice and the mind-blowing realization that Asami Ruyichi had once been, in fact, a small baby. 

Finishing his meal Asami got up and lay down on the sofa resting his head on the couch arm. After cleaning up the dishes Akihito walked over to the sofa. He wanted to curl up next to Asami, but felt unsure of how Asami would react to that.

Asami looked up at Akihito and without saying a word, lifted his hand and pulled Akihito down on top of him.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few things:
> 
> First of all, I want to thank you all for your very kind words and comments! I always feel a bit nervous after posting a new chapter, so it is very nice to get positive feedback. But I'm certainly open to constructive criticism too! :)
> 
> And as for the story:  
> There is still some Major Drama on its way, but the next few chapters will be relatively peaceful with a lot of frick frack. ;) This story has about 14-16 chapters, so we still have a loonnggg way to go... I hope you don't mind! 
> 
> Many readers have wondered about Asami's/Akihito's reactions and feelings and without giving away too much, I can say this:  
> People don't always act logically ( I almost never do...) and may often react in a way that is not very constructive. Akihito's and Asami's relationship is often very challenging, partly because (and this is obviously just my own musings) Asami is used to having things his way and Akihito on the other hand can be very stubborn in his own right. I've tried to use this in the fic, hopefully it will come out right. Akihito might regret his actions regarding Sakazaki, but that doesn't necessarily mean, that he is willing to let Asami always have his way from now own. 
> 
> And as always, I'm interested in hearing your thoughts and comments!

Akihito settled down resting his head on Asami’s chest. Closing his eyes he listened to the sound of Asami’s breathing and took comfort in the strong hands holding him. Trailing his fingers along Asami’s broad chest he moved the bathrobe out of the way and scooted forward to nuzzle Asami’s neck and inhale his scent. With a feather-light touch Akihito traced Asami’s features from his temple to his chiseled jaw and going down, over his Adam’s apple and to his chest where his let his hand rest, feeling for the heartbeat under the hot skin.

After a while, Asami lifted his hands on Akihito’s bottom rubbing it gently. Slipping one hand inside his boxers he caressed the tender, warm skin, letting his fingers occasionally slip between the cheeks. Arching into the touch and craving only more, Akihito spread his leg a little.

With his other hand Asami reached over to the small side table and opened a drawer taking out a bottle of lube. Asami’s habit of taking Akihito whenever and wherever the lust struck him had made it necessary for Akihito to start stashing bottles of lube in every drawer around the apartment. 

After pulling down Akihito’s sweatpants and boxers, Asami poured some of the gel on his fingers and slid them between Akihito’s cheeks. Slowly rubbing his fingers along the cleft he circled the tight hole, making it clench in anticipation. 

“You want more?” he asked as Akihito moaned quietly.   
“Y- yes…please… more... I want...”   
“You want what?” Asami asked in a silky voice.  
“I want…please…As- Asami, please…put…inside, I want them inside…” Akihito whimpered rubbing his groin against Asami’s to get more friction on his growing erection.

“Like this?” Asami asked and slowly pushed two fingers inside, moving them in and out slowly, searching for his prostrate. Akihito felt the rough skin on Asami’s fingers on the sensitive skin around his opening and gasped when the fingers slide inside him, his whole body shuddering.

“Oh… so good so good…” Akihito’s hips buckled when Asami’s fingers found his prostate and his body’s movements became more erratic. Spreading his fingers and pushing them deeper, Asami kept stretching Akihito’s hole and caressing his bottom with his other hand until Akihito could not take the onslaught of sensations anymore. He had spread his legs as far as the fabric of his pants allowed and feeling Asami’s erection through his boxers rubbing against his own only served to increase his need.  
“Please, Asami! Please…I- I need you in me…please…” 

Pulling out his fingers, Asami sat up and lifted Akihito on the couch pillows after pulling off his pants and boxers completely.   
“Get on you hand and knees.”

Scrambling to obey, desperate to have Asami inside him, Akihito turned around and lifted himself up on his hands and knees. He spread his legs and pushed his butt up, knowing that he was putting himself on a display for Asami. But the thought only turned him on more. Looking over his shoulder, Akihito watched Asami take a hold of his hip with one hand and guide his lube-coated cock with his other hand to Akihito’s glistening wet, gaping hole. 

Whimpering and panting Akihito pushed back against the cock lined at his opening trying to slide it in, but Asami’s iron grip on his hips forced him to stay still.  
“Don’t. Move.” 

Struggling to keep his legs from shaking Akihito buried his head on the sofa cushion and panted waiting for Asami.

Spreading Akihito’s cheeks open Asami watched the pink hole stretch out to take the big cock all in. Sliding it in excruciatingly slow Asami breathed deeply when the tight passage opened, swallowing his cock to the hilt. Akihito’s breath left him in a long moan and his head snapped up as Asami pulled out and thrust it back in, deep. 

Taking a tight hold of Akihito’s hips Asami began thrusting in deep with a punishing force, the slapping sound echoing in the room. Bracing himself on the couch arm, Akihito moaned and whimpered as Asami’s cock slid over his prostate sending dizzying shocks straight to his dick. He could feel Asami growing more and more aggressive with each thrust, but Akihito accepted it as his penance for his actions. He knew Asami had held back earlier and was grateful for it. Spreading his legs as far as he could, he welcomed the rough thrusts and the feeling of fullness when Asami was deep inside him. 

With his cock dripping pre-cum, Akihito brought his hand between his legs, but Asami slapped it away wrapping his own fingers around the leaking cock. He jacked it roughly in time with his thrusts, thumbing the slit and spreading the pre-come. 

“Asami! I’m going to c- cum…I can’t…” Holding on the couch arm for his dear life as Asami rutted in him Akihito felt the tightening of his balls starting to uncoil and his legs trembling as his orgasm shot through his body making him clench around Asami’s cock in involuntary convulsions. Through the sound of his own gasping he could hear Asami’s guttural sounds as he pushed his cock in hard in for the last few times before shuddering his release. Gasping for air, Akihito felt Asami’s cock twitch deep inside him and flood his insides with his cum. 

Wrapping his arms around Akihito Asami lay down on the couch turning Akihito so that they were spooning. Still trying to catch his breath Akihito whimpered quietly when Asami slipped his spent cock out making him feel empty. Crowding as close as possible, Akihito drew Asami’s bathrobe and arm over him like a blanket.

Akihito knew he had to get up early next morning, but lying like this, next to Asami, with his heavy arm draped over him and his warm breath tickling his neck, was so nice and comforting. Intertwining his fingers with Asami’s Akihito closed his eyes, promising himself that it would only be for a couple of minutes. 

The last thing he felt before drifting off to sleep was Asami’s gentle kisses on his neck and his strong arm holding him tight. 

***

The next morning Akihito woke up to find out that he had slept the whole night on the sofa. Still wrapped up in Asami’s bathrobe Akihito got up and staggered to the bathroom. 

After a quick wash and feeling somewhat refreshed he walked over to the kitchen and found Asami there, fully dressed and drinking freshly brewed coffee. The morning light brightened up the kitchen and made everything appear golden and peach colored.

“Uhhh…good morning.” Pouring himself a big mug of black, hot coffee, Akihito wedged himself between the kitchen counter and Asami, leaning his head on Asami’s chest.  
“Sleep well?” Asami asked looking down at a sleepy Akihito.  
“Mmmhh…”  
“Are you going to work today?”  
“Mmmhh…” Akihito gave a tiny nod with his head and gulped down more coffee. 

Putting down his mug on the counter, Asami took a hold of Akihito’s face and looked him straight in the eyes.  
“I don’t want you to go anywhere near Dracaena. Not until I say so. No photos and no snooping around. There are some people there that you don’t need to associate with.”  
“Sure, I don’t have any business there anyway,” Akihito yawned.  
“And I don’t want you to go anywhere near Sakazaki or his club. Not now, not ever. Is that understood?” 

Akihito’s face took on a grumpier mien.  
“I only went there to gather information for you! It’s not like I want to see him or anything…”   
“I know that. But from now on you will never have anything to do with that man again. Is that clear?” Asami’s eyes were hard and his fingers were holding Akihito’s jaw tightly.  
“Do not go against me on this. And don’t ever try to hide things from me again.” Asami’s voice was low and peaceful but all the more forceful for that. 

Akihito suddenly remembered how jealous he had felt after seeing Asami together with a crying Sudou. How would he feel if he were to find out Asami had been receiving blowjobs from another man? Or a woman?!  
“I won’t,” he murmured lowering his gaze. 

Still holding Akihito’s face, Asami kissed him, pushing his tongue between Akihito’s lips. Akihito let his tongue slide against Asami’s and moaned quietly when he felt Asami’s hands travel down on his body and rubbing his bottom. Leaning on Asami Akihito grabbed a hold his shoulders and got up on his toes as Asami kissed his neck, jaw and lips again. Small pecks interluded with longer and deeper kisses that took his breath away.

When they finally broke the kiss, Akihito was practically gasping for air and his face had a look of having being thoroughly snogged.

“Remember what I said.” Asami said looking Akihito intently while putting on his jacket.

Taking his briefcase he left the apartment leaving a very disheveled looking Akihito behind.


	6. Chapter 6

“There is a visitor for you, Kirishima-san. A mister Kato,” the female receptionist’s polite voice informed Kirishima over the phone.  
“Send him in.”  
“Right away, Kirishima-san.”

Kirishima finished the last sentence on his email, clicked on the 'send' button and closed his laptop just as the man exited the elevator. Kirishima nodded to the security guard standing at the glass doors and he opened the door letting in the short, plain looking man. 

It was nearly impossible to guess his age. Kirishima estimated the man to be somewhere around his 60s, but then again, he could easily have been 75. The years didn’t seem to have much of an impact on the man, maybe making him a bit frailer at most. He was wearing a beige trench coat and was clutching a brown leather satchel that looked like it had seen its best days about 20 years ago. 

The man walked across the room without making a sound and with a gentle smile on his face.   
Kirishima had often wondered if it was indeed the man’s plain and unobtrusive appearance and his utterly harmless demeanor that made him so good at what he did. Who would ever suspect him of anything? Who would even notice him?

The man bowed his head to Kirishima before sitting down on the edge of the seat placed in front of Kirishima’s desk. Still smiling kindly he took out a thick stack of papers tied together with brown, coarse string from his satchel and handed them over.

After removing the string, Kirishima leafed through the papers slowly and nodded to the man approvingly. The man answered with a smile and a nod of his own and stood up.   
“I’m happy that I could be of service.”  
“Thank you for your work. I’ll be contacting you again.” Kirsihima stood up and bowed his head a little.   
“Thank you.” The man clutched his satchel and left as silently as he had entered.

Asami would have happily paid the man much more for his invaluable service. The man’s ability to find information where there was none to find never ceased to amaze him. In Asami’s line of business, access to reliable information could easily mean the difference between life and death. But the man always asked for the same amount, refusing politely to even discuss the possibility of a raise. He seemed to be content with his old trench coat and tattered satchel. Maybe he saw his work as the real reward. Who knew?

Shaking his head a little as if to clear his thoughts, Kirishima knocked on Asami’s door and entered.  
“I have the information on Sakazaki you requested, Asami-sama.”  
“Good.” Asami took the papers from Kirishima and started reading them one by one. Kirishima sat on a chair waiting, because he knew that Asami would want to make plans and give orders as soon as he was finished reading. But suddenly the peaceful silence was disturbed by a sound coming from Kirishima’s mobile. 

“Please excuse me, Asami-sama.” Flustered, Kirishima fished his phone out of his pocket and answered it.   
“Yes?”  
“Kirishima-san? This is Honda. I’m sorry to disturb you, but…uh…well, I-, we have little situation here. Could I…would it be possible to talk to Asami-sama?”  
“Asami-sama can not be disturbed right now. What is the problem? Has something happened to Akihito-kun?” As soon as the words left his mouth, Kirishima regretted them as Asami lifted his head and held out his hand for the phone. Sighing, Kirishima handed it over and waited. 

“Yes. What is it?” Asami said in a gravelly voice.  
After listening for a while, Asami began to rub his temples with his fingers and said:  
“Put him on the phone.”  
“Akihito. I am not going to discuss this. You either go out accompanied by Honda and Fukui or you don’t go out. At all.”  
“Yes, we all know you can ‘handle it yourself.’ I can still distinctively remember how a couple of weeks ago you ‘handled yourself’ to hang from the hook of a hoist with a knife held at your throat.“  
Kirishima could hear loud protesting and ranting from the other end of the line.  
“Akihito. Obey me.”  
Again Kirishima could hear loud ranting, but this time it quieted down to mumbling after a short while.  
“Now, give the phone back to Honda.”  
“Do not let him out of your sight. And expect him to make a run for it at any moment, do you understand?”

Ending the call, Asami handed the phone back to Kirishima, sighing, and turned his gaze back to the papers. 

Observing Asami’s relationship with Akihito Takaba never ceased to astonish and, frankly put, startle, Kirishima. Asami was not the kind of person who had to ask people to obey them. He simply told the people around him what he expected of them and most of them understood instinctively that obeying Asami Ryuichi was the wisest thing to do. And those who didn’t, well…they didn’t usually stay around for long. The way Akihito behaved towards Asami would normally be unheard of. Sometimes the way they argued reminded Kirishima of an old married couple. 

***

Akihito cast a glance over his shoulder at the two men following him in a black car. He was used to seeing Asami’s men lurking somewhere in the distance as he went about his daily life, but today they had been waiting for him at the door of the apartment. And they had made it patently clear that they intended to follow on his heels, all day, every day, from now on. And that was not okay, not by a long shot. 

But after the heated phone call to Asami and after he remembered the promise he’d made Asami that very morning, Akihito decided to acquiesce, for now. Asami was probably just feeling on the edge after finding about Sakazaki, a thought that still made Akihito’s heart twinge with guilt. If he let Asami have his way for a while, surely the man would calm down and things would return to normal. Assured by his own reasoning Akihito hopped on his Vespa and drove off. 

The newspaper’s office was bustling with energy, as usual, people running around, phones ringing off the hook and printers churning out papers. The whole place was practically vibrating and Akihito loved every second of it. 

“Oi, Akihito! Just the man I need. I’ve got a job for you.” The editor-in-chief, a man well over his 60s and with a balding head and low hanging glasses, waived for Akihito to come closer.  
“Yes, boss.” Akihito hastened his steps, eager to get a new assignment.  
“Wait, who are you two?” The man looked over Akihito’s shoulder at Honda and Fukui, whose presence he had already forgotten.  
“Ah, they are my…um…associates,” Akihito muttered.  
The editor held up his glasses closer to his eyes as if to take a better look at the two men dressed in black suits and looking every inch the gangsters that they were.   
“This is a one-man job, I’m not paying for three photographers.”  
“Oh, no no! They’re here just to..uh…observe. They…want to learn the trade.” Akihito gave the men a frustrated look, trying mentally to implore them to look less like…themselves.

“Well, in that case… There’s a case today at Tokyo High Court in Kasumigaseki. A man is charged with killing his wife and her lover, Hamamoto Katashi. Get over there and take some pictures of him. I want close-ups of his face, I want tears. Make it interesting.”   
“Yes, boss. I’m on it.”

Akihito hurried back outside to his Vespa. He knew the courthouse would be packed with people, reporters and officials, and he wanted to find a good vantage point before the accused was brought there. 

Weaving his way through traffic, with a big, black car following his tiny Vespa, Akihto set the course for Kasumigaseki.

As Akihito had predicted, the area in front of the courthouse’s gated parking lot was already jammed with reporters and police officers trying to control them.   
“Well, I have a good lens, so the distance is not a problem, all I really need is a good place to…ah! Great!” Akihito mused to himself as his set off to climb one of the trees near the gate.

Wrapping his legs around a thick branch and holding on with his right arm, he was able to point his camera lens directly in the face of the short, startled looking Hamamoto just as he emerged from the police car. 

Standing right below Akihito were Honda and Fukui, ignoring the commotion going on around them, holding their hands up, ready to catch Akihito, should he fall.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will mark the beginning of the Big Storm, but in this chapter things are still peaceful. So, enjoy it while you can... *evil grin*

After reading the papers Kato had brought, Asami put them down on the table and walked over to the sideboard in his office and poured himself a whiskey and dropped a few rock-shaped ice cubes in the heavy based glass. Standing in front of the window, Asami slowly sipped the burnt umber colored drink.

“How are the renovations of Dracaena coming along?” Asami’s voice was very peaceful and calm, as if he had been talking about some mundane matter, a sign that Kirishima had come to learn meant that Asami had formed a plan in his head, had made all the decisions and was now ready to set the wheels in motion.  
“Very well. The officials have already approved the reopening, most likely due to Kuroda-san’s influence. The workers are putting in long hours and we should be able to open the club at the end of next week.”  
“Good.”

For a long time neither man said anything.

“Contact all his suppliers and have his alcohol supply cut off. Also, have someone contact all the hosts working at his club and explain to them that it would be better for them to find another club to work at. And the big loan he took from that moneylender, what was his name, Wakabayashi? I think it’s time that loan became due,” Asami stated tonelessly.  
“Yes, Asami-sama.” Kirishima noted that despite Asami’s calm and contemplative demeanor, he could not bring himself to say out loud Sakazaki’s name. Whatever it was that Sakazaki had done, it was quickly becoming clear that he was going to regret it for the rest of his life. Which might not be a very long one.

“And the men who worked with Sudou on his private little…enterprise?” Asami inquired.  
“They are being dealt with by the police and Kuroda-san. It would be difficult for us the get to them without attracting the attention of the officials. But there are… ways, of course, if that is what you wish.”  
“Mmhh…” Asami hummed absentmindedly.

Walking back over to the big window, Asami swallowed the last remnants of his drink, but kept rolling the melting ice cubes slowly in the glass while looking out of the window at the forest of skyscrapers blanketing the landscape. 

“Have Ito and Sawa join Honda and Fukui. And make sure they understand that if anything were to happen to Akihito…” Asami made a small movement with his hands.  
“Yes, Asami-sama.” Kirishima bowed his head and quietly walked out of the room. 

Kirishima spent the rest of the day at his desk, putting Asami’s plan and orders into action. At lunchtime, he sent one of the men to pick up an order of salmon, octopus and sea bream sashimi for Asami and sushi for himself. 

When the sky had changed to the color of lavender, peach and honey, Asami emerged from his room. 

Kirishima nodded to the security guard who took out his phone and informed the garage that Asami’s car was to be brought to the entrance. Kirishima had trained the staff well during his years as Asami’s right-hand man and made sure that everything in Asami Ryuichi’s life was perfectly organized and flowed like a river, without Asami having to stop and pay attention to such mundane things as his car. 

“Were you able to contact his suppliers?”   
Kirishima glanced at Asami through the rearview mirror. Neon signs and the lights of passing cars flickered on his face, occasionally highlighting his high cheekbones and making his eyes gleam in the shadows.   
“Yes. I expect him to run out of stock sometime tomorrow. And Wakabayashi assured me he would personally pay a visit to the club today and inform him that his loan will become due in three days. I’m also having some of our men visiting his hosts to talk with them.”  
Asami made an almost unnoticeable nod with his head.  
“Ito and Sawa?”  
“They were taking care of one of our shipments in Nagasaki, but they will fly in tonight and will be joining Honda and Fukui tomorrow morning.”

“Thank you, Kirishima.” It was offered in a low voice and Kirishima bowed his head in acknowledgment. It was very rare for Asami to praise his underlings, but Kirishima knew he was a trusted and a very valuable assistant to Asami. And that made him happy. 

***

Akihito sat in the bathtub with closed eyes and enjoyed the way the warm water relaxed his muscles. He’d gotten some good pictures of the man’s frightened face; the editor-in-chief had been very pleased with them. 

Having Asami’s men follow him like he was in need of a babysitter had been embarrassing though. Asami’s desire to control every aspect of his life could sometimes make Akihito feel somewhat smothered. But that was simply the way Asami Ryuichi dealt with the world. What was his, was his and nobody else’s. Sharing things wasn’t an option.

Akihito heard the door to the apartment being opened and closed, followed by footsteps. He listened to Asami walk around the apartment, taking off his coat, putting away his briefcase and loosening his tie. 

Then the door to the bathroom opened and Asami was standing in the doorway.  
“You’re home.”  
Akihito peeked over the side of the bathtub.  
“I haven’t had time to make dinner. Could we order in something?”  
“Sure,” Asami shrugged his shoulders.  
Unbuttoning his shirt and throwing it in the hamper, he stepped inside the bathroom and removed his pants and underwear.

Asami turned on the shower, letting the water rain over him. Akihito stared at Asami’s statuesque body. How the water flowed between the finely tuned muscles shaping his back as Asami moved his hands, running his fingers over his face and hair. Startled from his ogling as Asami turned around, Akihito lowered his gaze to the water in the bathtub. But he couldn’t help peeking at Asami’s face, with water droplets shining on his lips and eyelashes. Turning off the water Asami stepped over to the bathtub.

“What are you doing?” Akihito sat up.  
“I’m joining you,” Asami stepped in the tub and sat down. Reaching for Akihito, Asami lifted him to sit between his long legs.  
“Wha…!” Akihito sputtered as he was pulled down to lay against Asami’s chest with his arms wrapped tightly around his body.

Huffing and muttering to himself, Akihito tried to find a comfortable position.   
“Who are you fighting? Me or yourself?” Asami chuckled as he let his hand wonder downwards and caress Akihito’s thigh while his other arm was still tightly wrapped around Akihito’s belly, holding him in place.  
“And why would I fight myself?”  
“You always seem to have such a hard time admitting to yourself that you want this, that you want me. And it’s not like I need a permission to take what’s already mine.” 

Asami’s fingers found their way between Akihito’s legs, wrapping around his half hard cock. Slowly he began to jack it. Gently at first, thumbing the crown and pulling the foreskin down. When Akihito started making tiny whimpering sounds and spreading his legs, Asami stopped and lifted his shorter legs over his own to spread them wider. Resuming his pleasuring of Akihito’s now very hard cock, Asami began to move his hand up and down in a steady rhythm, twisting around the head and rubbing his thumb across the slit. 

Akihito let his head drop on Asami’s shoulder as he tried to thrust into his hand while steadying himself by putting his hands on Asami’s knees. His moans grew louder, echoing in the bathroom and he gasped and twisted in Asami’s grip as the man brought him steadily closer to orgasm. 

“Do you want more, Takaba?”  
“Y- yes…please…”Akihito panted.  
“What do you want? Tell me.” Asami sped up the movements of his hand making Akihito cry out.  
“Your fi- fingers…please, Asami!”  
“And where do you want my fingers?” Asami’s voice was almost silky as growled softly in Akihito’s ear.  
“In- in my…in me, put your fingers in…my hole…” Akihito was blushing scarlet all over his face, but couldn’t stop panting and trying to push up against Asami’s grip on his cock.

Asami let his other hand slide down between Akihito’s legs and under his drawn up balls, moving his fingers slowly around his clenching hole before pushing two fingers all the way inside and curling them in search of Akihito’s prostate. And finding it. Wailing Akihito trashed with his hands in the water, his legs shaking as he tried desperately to hold on to Asami. 

“Like it?” Asami whispered in his ear and planted small kisses along Akihito’s neck and shoulder.   
“So, so good. It’s s- so good, don’t stop…” Akihito could feel his orgasm start to unravel and his hips starting to jerk.  
“Oh, I’m never going to stop.” Asami answered as he held Akihito tight through his body-rocking orgasm, continuing to milk his cock until he slumped down in Asami’s arms, panting as if he’d just finished a marathon.

Standing up with a pliant Akihito in his arms, Asami let the water drain out of the tub and showered them both quickly before wrapping Akihito in a big, white towel and rubbing his hair with it. 

With hands clasped under Akihito’s butt Asami carried him to the living room sofa and picked up his mobile from the sofa table.  
“Sushi! I want sushi!” Akihito demanded lying down on the cushions and yanking the hem of Asami’s bathrobe.

After making the call Asami sat on the sofa next to Akihito. The promise of food had made Akihito perk up and he clambered down form the sofa and positioned himself between Asami’s legs. Pushing Asami’s legs further apart, Akihito moved the hems of his bathrobe out of the way, revealing his muscled thighs and half hard cock. 

Looking up at Asami Akihito brought his hands near Asami’s groin.  
“I- I want to suck it,” he said blushing furiously, but refusing to lower his gaze.  
“By all means.”

Akihito wrapped his fingers around the semi-erect cock leaning against Asami’s thigh. He caressed the slit gently with his thumb and gave the shaft a quick lick as if to get a taste. Keeping his eyes on Asami’s face, Akihito sucked and kissed the crown, pushing his tongue in the slit and tasting the salty pre-cum. Spreading the pre-cum along the shaft with his tongue, Akihito began to make jacking motions whit his hand, slowly at first, but speeding up gradually as the cock between his fingers hardened to full erection. 

“It’s so big, I can almost feel you in my belly when you’re inside me,” Akihito said in a low voice, emboldened by his own actions. Grunting, Asami steadied himself with his hands on the sofa cushions so as not to thrust in Akihito’s mouth and make him gag. Seeing Akihito’s big eyes watching him and those plump, moist lips close around his cock was enough to make his self-control crumble. At the same time Asami could not help wondering if this how Akihito had looked like when he was going down on Sakazaki. The sheer idea that someone had touched Akihito in such an intimate way filled him with murderous rage and made him want to destroy something, rip something to pieces with his bare hands. Or someone. 

Akihito’s kitten-like licks brought him back to the present moment.  
“I thought you said you wanted to suck it?” he grunted as Akihito kept on teasing him.  
Akihito’s lips curved in a smile, he loved being able to shake Asami’s cool exterior.  
“I will, I will…” he singsonged happily and licked the cock all the way from top to base. 

Opening his mouth wide, Akihito slid the hard cock in his mouth as deep as he could. Forming a tunnel with his hands, he began to jack off the shaft while simultaneously keeping up the swallowing motion, bobbing his head up and down. Breathing heavily through his nose Akihito licked the pre-cum that was now leaking copiously and let his tongue glide in the slit, on the way up, making Asami jerk again and grab his hair.   
“Uhmmf…” Akihito tried to voice his disapproval, but the big cock sliding down his throat made speaking rather impossible. 

Hollowing his cheeks Akihito sucked on the cock letting it touch the base of his throat and jacked his hands along the now slick shaft. He could feel Asami’s orgasm arriving in the way his cock twitched in his mouth before he could see his hips jerk. Readying himself Akihito relaxed his throat as best as he could as the hot, salty cum hit his throat in thick spurts. 

After swallowing it all, he finished by licking Asami’s spent cock clean with his tongue.   
Breathing heavily Asami followed his movements with his eyes as he slowly regained control of his ragged breathing. 

And then the doorbell rang.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have to say, I really like torturing you guys. ;) You're all so eager to see heads rolling and I'm just making you wait and wait and wait... In this chapter things will (slowly) start to escalate, but that's all I'm going to say. Mwahahahaahhaha!

“Oh, you have got to be kidding me! This is ridiculous!” 

Akihito fumed at the men in front of him. In the hallway Honda and Fukui were already waiting for him, as they had been yesterday, but now two new men accompanied them.   
“I’m sorry, Akihito-san, but these are Asami-sama’s orders. Ito and Sawa will be joining us from now on.” Honda bowed his head, but remained otherwise unmoved. 

Akihito dug up his mobile from his pocket, but didn’t have time to dial Asami’s number before Honda spoke again.  
“I’m afraid calling Asami-sama is only going to get you the same answer as yesterday.” The man did seem a bit apologetic, but that did little in the way of soothing Akihito’s mood.  
Bristling, Akihito put his mobile away. He knew Honda was right. Asami had made it perfectly clear that in this matter there simply was no leeway, only Asami’s way.  
“Just try to stay out of my way!” Akihito grumbled angrily, and embarrassingly petulantly, as he strode past the four men standing in line in their black suits and dark sunglasses.

“And why do they always have to look like serial killers? Is that some kind of requirement for the job?” Akihito kept muttering to himself during the elevator ride, refusing to acknowledge the quiet chuckles of the men standing around him.

When Akihito stopped at the red lights with his Vespa, he glanced over his shoulder at the two black, unmarked cars that were following him closely. Rolling his eyes he turned his gaze back at the road ahead.  
“This is so stupid. What does he think could possibly happen to me? I’m not even taking dangerous jobs anymore…for now.” Akihito knew that soon he would want to start chase after the really big stories and scoops again, stories that involved stakeouts and long nights. But at the moment it simply wasn’t possible. Asami had certainly seen to that.

Walking through the office with four bodyguards in tow Akihito drew a number of curious looks. Determined to ignore them he knocked on the editor’s door.

“Hey, boss! Did you like my pictures from yesterday?”  
“Yes, they were good. And I’ve got a new job for you.” The editor-in-chief sat behind his desk, which was covered in papers, newspapers, article clippings, pens, tea mugs and other small stuff.   
“Great! What is it?”  
“I have it here somewhere…” After flipping over several papers he found the one he was looking for and handed it over to Akihito.  
“The Keio Plaza Hotel in Shinjuku is unveiling its new Pikachu-themed room today.”  
“Pikachu? As in Pokémon?”   
“Well, you know, the yellow character with the tail. Isn’t it a Pokémon… Pokédex, Poké…something? The hotel already has a Hello Kitty room, but they also wanted something that was more suitable for boys, so now they have a Pikachu room. The unveiling ceremony is today and there will also be some members from a pop group there plus a Pikachu-mascot. Anyway, I want cute pictures of the room and the celebrities and both of them together, so make it happen. The event starts in half an hour so you better hustle.”   
“Yes, boss! I’m on my way!” Akihito said happily and folded the paper and slid it in his pocket. 

“Akihito-kun!” One of the journalists from the paper approached Akihito casting a piqued glance at the four men standing right behind him.  
“Who are they?” he whispered leaning close to Akihito.   
One of the men, Fukui, put a hand between them urging the man take a few steps back.   
“Sir, I’m going to have to ask that you do not get too close to Akihito-san.”  
“Akihito-san?” the journalist declared incredulously.   
“Don’t pay them any attention,” Akihito said scowling at the men and especially at Fukui.  
“They are just friends of a…friend. They are from…Hokkaido”, he said as if that would somehow explain their behavior. 

Sighing exasperated he waved the journalist goodbye and walked out of the office deciding to have a long talk with Asami tonight about respecting other people’s right to an independent life. But first he had a job to do. A very easy one. Except for one, small, little, tiny detail. 

The Keio Plaza Hotel was located in Shinjuku. An area Akihito wasn’t really supposed to visit. Except, Akihito reasoned with himself, he had never promised Asami that he wouldn’t go to Shinjuku. Just that he wouldn’t visit Sakazaki’s club or Dracaena. And he wasn’t. So there really was no problem at all, Akihito decided, nodding to himself before hopping on his Vespa and stepping on the gas.

The hotel was a brilliant white building with over 40 floors. It was located in a part of the city where most of the buildings were skyscrapers in different shades of white. The hotel’s main lobby was decorated with mirrors, pillars and marble floors. In the middle of the main lobby was a large, square glass water tank with pale pink and delicate lilac lotus flowers floating about. Under the flowers Akihito spotted tiny golden fishes swimming around.

“May I be of assistance, sirs?” A beautiful and kind looking woman dressed in a dark blue skirt suit asked, bowing her head.  
“Oh! I’m here for the Pokédex, I mean Pokémon, no, I mean the room with the Pokémon. I am a reporter and I´m here for the unveiling event.” Akihito offered the woman his business card.   
“Welcome to the Keio Plaza Hotel. The unveiling ceremony will begin in five minutes, if you’ll follow me, please-” The woman’s voice was cut off by the sounds of dozens of screaming teenage girls following the members of a popular pop group in the lobby. Akihito quickly lifted up his camera and started snapping pictures.  
“Thank you so much, but I think I got from here!” He told the woman and followed the girls with Honda, Fukui, Ito and Sawa following right behind him. 

Screaming and tearful teenage girls made good pictures.

***

Carefully packing his camera in his backpack, Akihito stepped out through the hotel’s main entrance to the street. He’d gotten some great pictures; there had been a Pikachu mascot and an actor dressed as Ash posing with the pop stars and the room itself had been quite nice. Not exactly Pulitzer-material, but it was always good for a photojournalist to have a versatile portfolio. And he’d chatted up the pop stars and even given two of them his business card. Who knew what kind of job openings that might lead to in the future?

Pleased with his work, Akihito stretched his shoulders and looked around. He was feeling hungry and there was a comfy little diner located very near the hotel. Akihito decided to leave his Vespa at the hotel parking lot and had just taken a few steps towards the crosswalk when he was stopped by an angry voice.

“You!” 

Akihito turned around on the spot and saw a man walking towards him. The man had a goatee, trendy looking glasses and a very elaborate hairstyle. Sakazaki. Akihito felt his stomach drop and instinctively he began to retreat. Sakazaki was clenching his fists and his face was twisted in rage. He looked very much like a man about to attack. But in an instant four men with dark suits were standing between them. Ito and Sawa shielded Akihito while Honda and Fukui approached Sakazaki. At some point all of them had unbuttoned their jackets revealing their holstered guns. 

“Akihito, stay behind me,” Sawa spoke in a low voice while keeping an eye on Sakazaki.  
“What the hell is this? So, your boyfriend sent his goons to babysit you?” Sakazaki scorned.  
“Do not take one step closer,” Fukui’s voice was calm, but firm. 

“What do you want Sakazaki?” Akihito peeked over Sawa’s shoulder. He wanted to end this little skirmish as soon as possible as people were already starting to give them odd looks.   
“Tell you fucking boyfriend to back off my business!” Sakazaki sneered the word ‘boyfriend’ like it was something foul-tasting.   
“How fucking stupid do you people think I am?! That I wouldn’t be able to figure out who was behind all this?!? You can tell Asami that if he doesn’t want his boy toy to give blowjobs-“ 

Sakazaki’s railing was cut short by Honda and Fukui, who slammed him against a nearby wall.  
“I suggest you fuck off right now. And consider this your first and last warning.” Fukui’s voice was low, but it seemed to have a substantial effect on Sakazaki who lifted his hands up as if to admit defeat.  
“Fine, I’ll leave.” Taking a few steps back the men released their hold on Sakazaki allowing him to move, but didn’t take their eyes off him. 

“Don’t think this is over, bitch,” Sakazaki sneered looking Akihito directly in the eyes before turning around and walking away.

“Akihito-san, come, we have to take you home,” Sawa began to lead Akihito towards the hotel’s parking lot by his arm.  
“What is happening?! What was he talking about? Did Asami do something to him? And I can walk on my own, thank you very much. Besides, I still have my Vespa.” Akihito stumbled in Sawa’s grip. Why was Sakazaki suddenly so angry with him? Had Asami done something to him or his club?

“We have to notify Asami-sama about this,” Fukui said hurrying his steps.  
“Yes, we’ll call Kirishima from the car. But first we have to get Akihito-san out of here.”  
“I really like the way you keep ignoring me!” Akihito railed while trying to shake his arm free from Sawa’s grip, unsuccessfully.   
“And no, you do not have to tell Asami about this! Nothing happened! I’m fine, see?” 

If Asami found about this, he was going to be livid and tomorrow Akihito would probably have an army of bodyguards waiting for him by the door, if he would even be allowed to leave the apartment in the first place.

Completely ignoring Akihito’s protests Sawa pushed him in the backseat of the black car and closed the door. Immediately after Fukui had taken his place on the driver’s seat, they drove off. Ito and Sawa following them in the other car. 

Fukui weaved the car through afternoon traffic while Honda picked up his phone and dialed Kirishima’s number. In the backseat, Akihito buried his face in his hands groaning. This was a nightmare! Why did he have to get drunk that evening and blab about his unfortunate encounter with Sakazaki to Asami? Why?! Now Asami was going to lock him up in a closet and throw away the key. 

“Kirishima-san? This is Honda. We have Akihito-san in the car and we are taking him home. An aggressive man tried to approach Akihito-san, apparently his name was Sakazaki.”  
“No, Akihito-san is completely unharmed. The man wasn’t able to lay a finger on him.”  
“Yes, we are taking him to Asami-sama’s apartment immediately. Can you have someone pick up Akihito-san’s Vespa. It’s at the parking lot of Keio Plaza Hotel in Shinjuku.”  
“Yes, Shinjuku.”  
“Oh? I am very sorry Kirishima-san. We were not aware that Akihito-san was not allowed in Shinkuju.”  
“I’m not a goddamn baby!” Akihito yelled from the backseat. Really, this was just too much! Asami had no right to forbid him to enter a whole area in Tokyo. Hadn’t he already promised not to visit the two clubs? 

“Yes, we should arrive at the apartment in less than fifteen minutes. I will give Akihito-san the message. Thank you, Kirishima-san.”  
Closing his mobile Honda turned to face Akihito.  
“Asami-sama wants you to wait at the apartment for his arrival. We’ll stay in the hallway, so you don’t have to worry.”  
“Oh, good, because for a moment there I was really worried about that.” Akihito leered at the man unable to hide the sarcasm in his voice. 

***

Dumping his backpack in the hallway, Akihito toed off his shoes and let his hoodie fall on the living room floor as he walked over to the couch flopping down on it. Akihito knew he was being childish, but the thought of being patronized and treated like a small child made him furious. 

First of all, it was Asami’s fault Sakazaki was mad at him. It had to be, because otherwise Sakazaki wouldn’t have had any reason to be so aggressive towards him. Clearly Asami had done something to the man. And secondly, Akihito listed in his head, he could have handled the situation himself. Sakazaki wasn’t armed and they had been standing on a public street. What was he going to do? Shoot Akihito? Kidnap him? 

Mumbling to himself Akihito tossed and turned on the sofa waiting for Asami to come home so he could give him a piece of his mind. And if there were any more men waiting for him at the door tomorrow he would go absolutely ballistic, Akihito added to himself. Enough was enough and it was high time somebody explained that to a certain Asami Ryuichi.

***

“I got a word today from one of our men that Sakazaki has been visiting every moneylender in Tokyo since Wakabayashi told him he has until Friday to pay back his loan. And his club is rapidly running out of alcohol, he may have to close the doors as soon as today. That would probably explain why he would be desperate enough to try and attack Akihito today.” Kirishima informed his boss of the latest developments as he drove through the late night traffic.

“Have you received an answer to our offer?” Asami was leaning back in his seat and watching the other cars dash by.  
“Yes. The owner of the building where Sakazaki’s club is located, Morimoto Kouta, told me that he would be happy to sign a contract with us if Sakazaki has to shut down his club. The club itself is not a very lucrative one, but the area is very lively and a high-level club there could create a good income.”  
“Tell Morimoto we’ll be signing the contract on Monday.”

I’ll have to keep Takaba inside the whole weekend, Asami thought to himself as the car pulled to a stop at the entrance of his apartment building. Asami had absolutely no intentions of letting Sakazaki off the hook this easily. Every time he thought about the man and how he had laid his hands on Akihito, Asami felt a rage that could barely be contained. Akihito Takaba was his; body, mind and soul. 

In the underworld, where Asami had built his syndicate, people could sense weakness like predators could smell their prey. If the word had gotten around that someone had been able to play around with his personal property and gotten away with it, it would be interpreted as a sign that his powers were weakening and that his empire was up for grabs. There simply was no room for mercy in the underworld. And now Asami was going for the kill.


	9. Chapter 9

Asami pushed Akihito against the kitchen counter and took a hold of his jaw forcing his head to bend back. Staring Akihito straight in the eyes, he spoke in a harsh voice,  
“Did you really think that I would just let it go? That I would allow someone else to touch you and get away with it?”  
“No, I- I just…“   
“You just what?”

Akihito’s back was being bent in a very uncomfortable angle, but Asami was holding him in a vice-like grip and there was nothing he could do about it.  
“I just meant that I could have handled the situation by myself! I don’t need your men dragging me around like a…a doll! I was there only because of a job, not to meet with Sakaz-“ But Asami cut off his words by taking a crushing hold of his arms. Akihito knew there would be marks tomorrow.  
“You. Are. Mine.” Asami’s voice was reduced to an animalistic growl as he lifted Akihito up on the counter and started to rip of his jeans. 

Akihito understood right then that this matter was not something that could ever be solved by logic or by discussing it peacefully. The mere mentioning of Sakazaki’s name was enough to send Asami into an uncontrollable rage. Something about what Sakazaki had done had hurt Asami deep inside more than anything else before. Letting his body go completely slack in Asami’s hands, Akihito allowed himself to be manhandled by Asami in any way he wanted.

“I’m yours. Only yours,” whispering in a soothing voice, Akihito ran his fingers through Asami’s finely combed hair and lifted his hips to help Asami pull down his pants and boxers.  
But Asami’s hunger could not be contained and snarling he ripped Akihito’s t-shirt apart.  
“I’m right here… I’m yours…” Akihito pulled Asami closer and caressed his back in soothing gestures as Asami buried his teeth in Akihito’s shoulder and bit him hard enough to leave an angry red mark. Grinding their groins together, Asami continued to bite Akihito's pulse point.

“Ahh…A- Asami, please…” Akihito could only whimper at the sensations shooting through his body. He wrapped his bare legs around Asami’s hips trying to get more friction.   
Asami kept sucking and biting his skin and teasing his nipples until they were hard little nubs. Grabbing a bottle of oil from the counter Asami pulled down his zipper and released his fully erect cock that was straining against his boxers. Coating his cock quickly with the oil, he pushed Akihito to lie down on his back on the counter and took a hold of his ankles spreading his legs wide. 

Watching Asami straight in the eyes Akihito brought his hands down and spread his cheeks, exposing the pink pucker that was clenching as in anticipation.   
“Only you…Asami, please...” Akihito moaned, his voice imbued with need and desire, his eyes never leaving Asami’s. Taking a hold of Akihito's hips, Asami thrust his cock in to the hilt. 

“Ohhh…s- so big…” Akihito arched his back, his whole body tensing at the sudden intrusion. There was some pain and a burning sensation, but the dizzying feeling of being filled up by Asami’s cock overrode it all. Pulling Asami even closer with his legs, Akihito braced himself with his hands as Asami pulled out and thrust back in deep. 

“Nobody else is allowed to touch you! Ever!” Asami seemed to be beside himself as he rutted and rutted in Akihito.   
“No one…no one…” Akihito brought his hands up to Asami’s face and caressed it softly while maintaining eye contact. “Only you.” 

Akihito could feel his orgasm inside him like a tidal wave. His hips began to jerk on their own accord and he let out stuttered cries as Asami’s cock pounded his prostate. And then it hit him. Akihito felt himself convulsing as his whole body became suffused with intoxicating pleasure and wave after wave crashed over him making him spurt come all over his belly.   
Asami kept pushing his cock in until he suddenly bent over Akihito’s body, biting down on his neck and releasing long, thick spurts of cum inside Akihito.

For a long time, neither man said anything as they held each other and tried to regain their breath. But then Akihito, combing his fingers through Asami’s hair, whispered in Asami’s ear almost inaudibly,

“Do you love me?”

For a moment Asami stopped breathing. After what felt like an eternity, he pushed himself in an upright position and looked at Akihito with an almost shaken expression. Then, instead of answering, he kissed Akihito, pushing his tongue in his mouth. They kissed for a long time, holding each other tight, until Asami broke the kiss and lifted Akihito from the counter and carried him to the bathroom. 

Akihito let his head rest on Asami’s shoulder and tried not read too much in to the fact that Asami had not answered his question.

***

Feeling the sunlight through his closed eyelids, Asami opened his eyes, still somewhat drowsy. He could hear noises coming from the kitchen and the faint aroma of freshly brewed coffee. Sitting up, Asami rubbed his face with his hands before standing up and stretching. 

After freshening up in the bathroom and putting on sweatpants, he sauntered in the kitchen where Akihito was making breakfast.   
“Good morning,” Akihito smiled and took out mugs from the cupboard above the kitchen counter.   
Asami walked behind him and wrapping his arms around Akihito’s middle he rested, if gently, his head on top of Akihito’s head. 

Akihito couldn’t help the small involuntary shudder at feeling Asami pushing their bodies together and the strong arms wrapping around him. They rarely had moments like this. Asami usually came home from work very late and any physical contact they had usually escalated very rapidly to full-on sex. 

Turning around in his embrace Akihito looked at Asami, smiling shyly.  
“I thought we could eat breakfast sitting on the couch and you could show me your picture albums. You know, from when you were…little.”   
Asami’s lips curved in an amused smile, but he shrugged his shoulders in an agreeing gesture.  
“I have to go look for them, I don’t think I’ve looked at them in over 15 years.”  
Bowing his head a little, Asami kissed Akihito, sliding his tongue over Akihito’s. Running his hands over Akihito’s bottom, he pressed their bodies together and nibbled on Akihito’s lips and gave him a last deep, searing kiss before pulling away. Feeling a little lightheaded, Akihito took a moment to regain his composure before setting up the tray with the dishes and the food and carrying it to the living room. 

Asami was crouched in front of the low sideboard opening the doors and peeking inside.  
“Ah, here it is. I had Kirishima move in all my belongings when I moved in.” He picked up a large, black leather covered album and carried it to the sofa.   
“Who decorated this apartment?” Akihito asked setting the tray down on the table in front of the sofa.  
“I think most of the furniture was here when I moved in, but Kirishima took care of the rest. Maybe he hired someone, I don’t really know.”  
Pleased by the fact that it hadn’t been a woman who had decorated Asami’s apartment, Akihito crowded close to Asami on the sofa and lifted the album in his lap.

With his coffee mug in his other hand, Akihito opened the album.

On the first page was a picture, somewhat yellowed by time, of a strikingly beautiful woman in a traditional kimono and with the same hazel and gold colored eyes as Asami’s, holding a baby in her arms. The baby had been wrapped in a light peach colored blanket and was sleeping peacefully. The baby was Asami.

A dumbfounded Akihito stared at the picture and tried to combine it with the man sitting next to him, but it was impossible. Asami leaned closer letting his hand rest on the sofa’s backrest behind Akihito.  
“Is that…your mother?”  
“Yes. She died when I was eight years old. After that my grandmother took care of me. But mostly I took care of myself.”  
“What was her name?” Akihito was whispering, as if the situation demanded he put on his best behavior. And, the thought occurred to Akihito, this was the closest to meeting Asami’s parents he would ever get.  
“Tamiko. She was very young when she had me, only 18 years old.”  
Akihito was torn between wanting to stare at the picture and wanting to see more pictures. After reassuring himself that he could always come back to the first picture, he was finally able to turn the page. 

On the next spread were four pictures of a small baby. In two of the pictures a tiny baby-Asami was sleeping in his cot, covered with a blanket with tiny baby blue bunnies on it and sucking on a pacifier. He had a tuft of black hair that had been mussed in his sleep.  
“Uwaah…” Akihito exhaled in awe and then giggled.   
Lifting an eyebrow Asami gave him a sideway glance.   
“What's so funny?”  
“You!” Akihito tipped his head back laughing.  
“You’re a baby!”

Asami satisfied himself with just shaking his head a little and drinking his coffee.  
In the other two pictures baby-Asami could be seen crawling on the floor, giving the camera a toothless, happy smile. He was wearing a yellow playsuit and a white shirt.  
“You’re so tiny!” A giddy Akihito exclaimed laughing.  
“It has been my understanding that most babies are,” Asami commented in sarcastic voice.

Turning the pages Akihito looked at pictures of a toddler-Asami playing with his stuffed animals, eating food (though most of it always seemed to end on his face), sleeping and growing. In one picture, taken after he’d learn to walk, an upset little Asami could be seen walking towards his mother, crying and with a red cut on his knee. His white knee socks were bundled around his ankles and his tiny face was wet with tears. In the next picture, he was sitting in his mother lap, still red-eyed and sucking on his thumb. Giggling, Akihito stared at the picture, he had never seen Asami cry before. He’d never thought Asami could cry. 

The last four pictures were taken when Asami was in his teens. Wearing a dark blue school uniform, a young and rebellious looking Asami stared at the camera with a guarded mien. His hair was combed in the same way as now, but it was longer from the neck. 

Looking thoughtfully at the picture, Akihito asked hesitantly,  
“Did you have a lot of girlfriends? …or boyfriends?”  
“Not really. Just one-night stands mostly. I’ve never really had a long relationship.”

Akihito waited for Asami to continue with the words “before now”, but he was silent. Akihito remembered again last night and how Asami hadn’t answered his question. He knew that what he and Asami had had to mean something to him, otherwise he wouldn’t have asked Akihito to live with him. Not to mention coming to the rescue over and over again when Akihito found himself in a dangerous situation. But Akihito still didn’t quite know what Asami felt for him. The man hid his emotions in a way he’d never seen anyone else do. And everybody around them had told Akihito over and over again that he was just Asami’s boy toy and should never expect to be more. 

“What are you thinking about? You look like a moping teenager,” Asami said, drowning the last of his coffee.  
“I’m not a teenager! I was just thinking,” Akihito huffed.  
“About what?”  
“As if I would tell you.” Akihito stood up, scowling, and picked up the tray carrying it to the kitchen.  
“Fufu…”

It was infuriating, the way Asami was always able to make him behave just like a teenager! Akihito dropped the tray down on the marble counter with a loud clank. He could hear Asami walk in the bathroom and turn on the faucet. As it was Saturday and he wasn’t going to the office, Asami was probably going to take a long bath instead of a quick shower as he usually did on working days. 

Akihito looked out the window at the clear blue sky and decided that a brisk jog was just what he needed to calm down. And, if he was quick about it, he might be able to sneak out without Asami noticing and alerting Honda and Fukui. Smiling and exited as if he’d just come up with a master plan, Akihito hurried to his room to put on his sweatpants, t-shirt and hoodie. Tiptoeing carefully past the bathroom door he reached the hallway where he put on his sneakers. Closing the door behind him quietly, Akihito snickered happily and pushed the button for the elevator. 

The park near Asami’s apartment building was full of people in all ages. Older couples strolling hand in hand, parents with small children who were running off in every direction wholly unaware of the cyclists trying to avoid crashing into them. Several young couples were having a picnic on the lawn and others were walking their dogs. Jogging in an easy pace Akihito enjoyed the sunshine and beautiful flowers the park was filled with. 

Pretty soon he had jogged around the whole park, but he didn’t feel like going back home quite yet. Exiting the park Akihito continued to jog past office buildings and skyscrapers. It was almost midday and the sun shone brightly from the clear sky, but between the high buildings the air felt cooler and refreshing. After jogging several blocks Akihito decided it was time to head back home. 

Approaching an intersection he slowed his pace. But when he reached the crosswalk, a white wan stopped right in front of him. The van’s back door was slid open and two men with their heads covered by hoods jumped out and grabbed Akihito pulling him in the van. Akihito fought hard, wrestling as best he could, but the men were too strong and after the sliding door was wrenched shut, the car sped away.


	10. Chapter 10

After toweling himself dry Asami folded the towel on his shoulders to catch any drips from his wet hair and stepped out of the steamy bathroom. He had been working late every day last week and was now looking forward to a day spent lying on the sofa, reading newspapers and listening to Akihito’s chatter. 

“Akihito, do you have any plans for today?” Asami settled down on the sofa and reached for the newspaper on the side table.  
“Akihito?”   
Suddenly Asami became aware of the fact that it was very quiet, a little too quiet. He stood up and walked into the kitchen, but there was nobody there.   
“Akihito?” Asami raised his voice a fraction.   
He opened the door to Akihito’s room, but he wasn’t there either, nor was he in Asami’s bedroom, or on the balcony. 

Sighing deeply, Asami thought about calling him, but then he noticed Akihito’s mobile on the small table in the hallway, next to his wallet, keys and camera bag. The boy had given him the slip, again. Asami felt his irritation rise as he weighed his options in the current situation. Just yesterday Sakazaki had tried to attack Akihito and now the boy was out somewhere on his own. Forcing his nerves into submission, Asami dialed Honda’s number. Just because Akihito was out alone, didn’t necessarily mean that something had happened to him. Yet. 

“Honda, are you with Akihito?”   
“Akihito-san? No, Asami-sama. I’m sorry, have I misunderstood something? Kirishima told Fukui and me that you were going to stay in the whole weekend with Akihito-san?”  
“Get to the office and take Fukui with you. I’ll be over shortly.”  
“Yes, Asami-sama.” 

“I’m going to insert a tracking device in his goddamn brain!” Asami growled to himself, feeling a sense of foreboding grow inside him. 

After quickly getting dressed he grabbed his phone again.  
“Kirishima, Akihito has disappeared. Do you know where Sakazaki is right now?”  
“No, I’m sorry, Asami-sama, we don’t have any men following him.”  
“I want you to drive over to his club and see if he’s there. If he’s not, ask around, find out if anybody knows where he is, and drive by his home too. And inform Suoh of the situation.”  
“Yes, Asami-sama. I will call the second I find anything.”

Akihito had already been out for an hour, which was not normal, considering that he’d left his wallet, mobile and keys behind. He needed to get to the office as soon as possible. He had left the file concerning Sakazaki there and he wanted to go through it to find about any houses, apartments, warehouses or other places that Sakazaki owned or rented and see if he’s taken Akihito to one of them. He had a very, very bad feeling about this.

Driving his black sports car Asami reached the office building just as Kirishima called him on his mobile.   
“Sakazaki is not at the club and hasn’t been there since yesterday. The employees all said that when he left last night he had been very angry. His assistant had tried to call him, but said that Sakazaki seems to have turned off his phone. He’s not at home either, though his car is in the garage.”  
“Come to the office. I want you to take the men and visit every house, warehouse, apartment or other place Sakazaki owns and make sure he is not hiding Akihito in one of them.”  
“Yes, Asami-sama. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”

***

Taking deep breaths Akihito tried to calm down his frantic pulse. A heavy knee was pushing his head on the van floor and another was pressed against his side. His hands were tied in front, which was a small relief, but there was a black pillowcase-like hood pulled over his head blinding him to his surroundings. 

They had been driving for at least half an hour and from the sound of it well over the speed limit. Akihito hoped that a police patrol would pull them over. 

After what seemed like an hour or maybe more, the car finally stopped. Akihito could hear doors banging and the low voices of people talking, but wasn’t able to make out any words. 

Suddenly there were footsteps approaching him and he was yanked up from the floor. After his hands were untied, he was made to walk with two men holding him by his arms. Being blindfolded made it very hard to avoid any bumps, cracks or other obstacles in his way, and by the time they stopped walking Akihito had already hit his toes and ankles several times. 

He wanted to say something, ask the men where they were, why had they taken him, but before he could do that, he heard a familiar voice talking to him.  
“Well well, what have we here. Asami Ryuichi’s little boy toy. Came to give me another blowjob? Couldn’t get enough of my cock?“  
The black cloth was yanked off his head and Akihito found himself staring straight into Sakazaki’s eyes.

“Maybe now Asami will be more inclined to leave me and my club alone. Hmmm…now that I think about it, he might even be willing to pay off my debts just to get his cute boy back. Hmm? What do you think?” Sakazaki drawled.   
“You are crazier than I thought. Not only will Asami not do any of those things, he’s going to kill you unless you let me go right now.”  
“Well, we’ll just have to see about that, now won’t we? But while we are waiting for Asami to make up his mind…maybe you would like to entertain me? Like you did that day when you visited my club.”  
“It was that kind of thinking that got you in this situation in the first place. You are just making it worse for yourself.” Even though Akihito managed to keep his voice firm, inside he was anything but. The only thing stopping him from shaking were the two men holding him by his arms.

Apparently that was not the answer Sakazaki had been hoping for as his face twisted in an ugly rage and he gripped Akihito’s left arm and all but threw him against the wall. Akihito felt his head hit the hard stonewall and in a daze he fell down on the floor.

Near him mounted on the wall was an iron hoop with a heavy chain and an iron collar attached to it. With jerky, angry movements Sakazaki opened the lock of the collar and wrapped it around Akihito’s neck. He turned the key in the heavy padlock and then put the key in his pocket, smiling ominously. Then he walked out of the room taking his men with him.

Akihito rubbed the back of his head. The situation was rapidly getting out of hands, Sakazaki was out of his mind if actually thought he could make Asami submit to his demands. Asami was going to rip the man to shreds.

“I’ve done it again.” Akihito thought, cursing his foolishness. Asami had specifically told him not to go out alone, but he had not listened. And now, here he was, imprisoned and chained to a wall. Why did he have to keep getting in trouble over and over again? 

The cold iron collar was chafing his skin and Akihito felt the first dull waves of a thundering headache at the back of his skull. His clothes were still damp from sweat and the coldness of the stone floor was starting to seep trough his t-shirt and hoodie. Curling himself into a little ball on the floor, Akihito tried to keep the tremors of cold at bay by relaxing his body as much as he could.

The night was long and lonely. The minutes idled by like syrup dripping from a spoon. A few times Akihito managed to fall in a light slumber that took him away from his captivity, but every time he was woken up by the noises coming from the other rooms. The room he was kept in seemed to be a storage room and it had three doors leading to other rooms. 

Akihito tried not to think about Asami too much, as it only upset him more, but inevitably his thoughts found their way back to him again and again.   
“Does he know I’ve been taken? Has Sakazaki contacted him? Maybe he thinks I just ran away, like I always do.” Trying to keep the tears away, Akihito blinked several times.  
“From now on I’ll always listen to you, I promise. Just, please… Asami, come and get me…”

He remembered the night he’d fallen asleep on the couch with Asami holding him in his strong embrace and placing small, gentle kisses on his neck. Akihito could feel tears pooling in his eyes, but made no effort to wipe them away. He’d never felt such a strong desire and pure need to be close to someone, it hurt him like physical pain. He wanted to snuggle close to Asami, hide his face in the crook of his neck and breathe in that scent that had come to mean desire, safety and love to him. All tied up in that one person whose presence, attention and embrace he craved more than anything else in this world. 

***

The next morning found Akihito still lying on the floor, shivering from cold and bleary-eyed from sheer exhaustion. When the door to the storage room was opened and the painfully bright rays of the morning sun hit Akihito’s eyes, he had to blink several times before he was able to identify the man approaching him.

“How did our little boy sleep through the night? Was it cold without Asami?” Sakazaki jeered crouching near Akihito’s face.  
“You know,” he continued in a contemplating fashion, as if he was pondering something seriously. “It seems as if the perfect Asami Ryuichi is not going to come to the rescue this time. What do you think?”

Akihito tried to answer but his throat was too parched.  
“I’ve left him a message, informing him of the status quo. We’ll see what he has to say for himself.”  
Standing up Sakazaki turned around and spoke to his men standing behind him.  
“Take him to the bathroom in the back and let him take a shower and use the toilet. But if you let him escape, I will personally shoot you.”

The hot water felt blissful on his strained and tired muscles. Akihito let the water rain over his head and concentrated on making his shoulder muscles relax in an effort to will away the headache.   
He had to try and talk to Sakazaki. Maybe he could make up a deal with him, anything, to make the man understand how crazy his plan was. Even if Asami didn’t care about Akihito anymore, a thought so painful Akihito had to force it away from his consciousness, Asami was still going to retaliate against anyone who dared to go up against him. He would never tolerate other people stealing his personal property. 

After he was brought back from the bathroom, Sakzaki locked the heavy collar around his neck again, but also gave him a ready-made bento meal and a big cup of hot coffee.   
“Wouldn’t want my little surprise for Asami to wilt away just yet, now would I.”  
Ignoring his words, Akihito wolfed down the food and cradled the coffee cup in his hands as if it was nectar form the Gods. 

“Sakazaki.” Akihito said in a timid voice after drinking half of his coffee and feeling his throat working again.  
“Please, you have to listen to me. This is crazy. Asami will never forgive you for this. Even if he didn’t…care…about me,” Akihito had to force the words out of his mouth, “he is still going to come after you because you went against him.” Akihito tried to plead with his voice, hoping to make Sakazaki listen and understand.   
“Oh, you are worried about me? That is so sweet of you, little Akihito.” Sakazaki’s voice was practically dripping with malice.  
“But you don’t have to worry. If Asami doesn’t want you, I will simply shoot you and then I will shoot him.”  
Akihito shook his head in desperation.  
“You really don’t get it, do you? Asami doesn’t respond to threats like normal people do. I’ve seen him with a gun pointed to his head and he looked…bored. If you’d just let me go, maybe I would be able to talk to him and-”

At that moment one of the men walked in the warehouse and said something to Sakazaki in a hushed voice.

“A fire!? My club…” Sakazaki started to run towards the door, but the man stopped him.  
“If you go there now, they’ll see you. I’m sure he has men there just waiting for you to show up.”  
Sakazaki stopped and seemed to think over the man’s words.   
“Fuck… Fuck! Okay, you’re right. Just get someone over there and…fuck! I want to know how bad it is. Is the whole club destroyed?”   
“I’ll tell Higashi to go take a look. But the thing is,” the man seemed to hesitate a bit, as though reluctant to be the bearer of such bad news, “the officials are going to want to talk to you. I mean, the owner of the building will have to give them your name. Isn’t your name on the lease?”  
“Oh, fucking fuck! That fucking…I’ll kill him!” Sakazaki appeared to be unable to formulate complete sentences due to his rage.   
“Asami will pay for this.” His voice was a malice-filled whisper and Akihito could feel the fear inside him like a clump of ice. 

Sakazaki turned his eyes to Akihito.   
“It would appear that I have not been clear enough of my attentions, since Asami still seems to be under the impression that he still has the upper hand. But no worries. That little misunderstanding will soon be corrected.”

“What do you think, Akihito? How would Asami react if he were to receive, say, your ear in the mail?” He approached Akihito with a knife in his hand and a mad look in his eyes.  
“You’re just making this worse for yourself! Doing something like that will only enrage him further. At this rate, he won’t be satisfied until he’s destroyed everything you own or hold dear to your heart. Everything!” Akihito was desperately trying to find the right words to snap Sakazaki out of his madness, but failing miserably.

One of Sakazaki’s men stepped closer and spoke to him. “I think we should move the boy to another location, further away from the city center. This place is in your name, he’ll find it soon.”  
“You’re right, go and start the car, I’ll bring the boy.”

With impatient movements Sakazaki grabbed a hold of Akihito’s collar and began fumbling with the lock. His anger made his hands shake and it took a good minute before he was able to unlock the collar.   
“Move!” Hitting Akihito on the shoulder with the gun handle he pushed him in the direction of the door. Rubbing his shoulders, Akihito walked in front of Sakazaki to the car that was waiting for them outside. After locking him in the trunk, Sakazaki and his two men sat in the car and drove away in a hurry.

Akihito closed his eyes, because there was nothing to see in the dark trunk anyway. The car bounced a little while driving over something uneven and Akihito tried to find something to hold on to. A heavy guilt had settled over his heart. This was all his fault. If he hadn’t sneaked out alone, none of this would have happened. And now Asami had apparently burned down Sakazaki’s club and Akihito had a sinking feeling that that was just the beginning. Why, why hadn’t he listened to Asami? Why did he have to act like such a selfish little brat all the time? Whether Asami truly loved him or not, he obviously wanted to protect Akihito from any harm and this is how he repaid him? Akihito didn’t know if he even wanted to be rescued anymore. How could he ever look Asami in the eyes again?


	11. Chapter 11

The new location Akihito was taken to was an old run-down shack on the outskirts of the city. The little cottage had dirty windows, a plank floor and only two rooms. Both rooms had their own separate entrances. The room Akihito was pushed in had almost no furniture at all, just an old chair and a table with a broken leg.

Akihito sat down on the floor leaning his back against the wall and sighed. He was tired and afraid of what was going to happen next. He could hear the men discussing outside and knew that they were all on the edge after what had happened to Sakazaki’s club and because they knew that Asami and his men were closing in on them. 

Peering out of the window from time to time, Akihito could see the men walking by and the sun moving across the sky. For hours nothing happened, nobody entered the room or talked to him. Akihito almost felt bored and was finally able to sleep for a while. 

He was woken up sometime later by a loud noise coming from the outside. 

“What?!” Akihito could hear Sakazaki’s voice as clearly as if he’d been standing right next to him.  
“What the fuck is he doing!? Torching up everything I own?!”   
“There was a big explosion and a fire. When the firemen arrived, it was already too late. Your house was completely destroyed and your car. The explosion was so powerful it shattered the windows of several neighboring houses. And your tobacco shop, in Shinjuku, apparently it was emptied and I mean completely, they even took the doors and the windows and then…then they just set what was left of it on fire. It’s gone. But…uh…the thing is… that’s not really the worst news…” 

The man’s voice faltered a little and Akihito had to strain his ears to hear him because he was now talking in a very low voice, unlike Sakazaki who seemed to have permanently switched over to screeching. 

“What could he possibly do to me anymore?!”  
“Well… Higashi got a call form his friend who works at the bank. It seems that all of your bank accounts have been emptied. And…”   
“And?!” Sakazaki sounded like a man very close to hysteria.   
“Uh…well, it would appear that before they burnt down the club, someone broke into your office and stole your computer. All the information that was in it has been downloaded to the Internet. And because some of the information was…well, not so legal…now the police is after you.”

After that Akihito didn’t hear anything more. Apparently Sakazaki had been stunned to silence. 

Like a thundercloud spreading over the sky and darkening the landscape, Asami’s wrath could be felt miles away. And it was getting nearer by the second.

The door to the room was ripped open and Sakazaki walked towards him, holding in his hands a short, hollow lead pipe. Without saying a word he started hitting Akihito all over, his side, back, thighs, shoulders and arms.

Akihito tried to curl himself up into as small a ball as possible, protecting his head with his hands and arms, but that left his side and back exposed. The pain hit him over and over again and Akihito could not stop himself from screaming. Very soon he was crying and begging Sakazaki to stop, but to no avail. Then he heard a cracking sound and felt a flame of pain explode in his ribcage and realized that Sakazaki must have broken one of his ribs. 

After a while Sakazaki threw the pipe away and for a second Akihito thought that the beating was finally over, but then a shoe hit him hard on his lower back. Akihito wanted to arch his back, but was too scared to expose his stomach, so he simply tried to pull his knees closer to his chest and make himself as small as possible.

But Sakazaki was far from satisfied and dropping down on his knees, he started to punch Akihito with his fists on his head and sides. Compared to the lead pipe Sakazaki’s fists felt almost soft, but that didn’t stop them causing damage.

After what felt like an eternity, he slowly stood up, panting and wheezing, supporting himself on the wall.   
“You are dead and so is your boyfriend,” he said curtly and walked out.

Crying silently and taking shallow breaths, Akihito began to very slowly straighten his legs trying to gauge the damage and feel for any broken bones. His ribcage was on fire and every breath only served to intensify it. He couldn’t tell if he’d broken any other bones, the pain all over his body was simply too strong. 

“As…ami…” He whispered in a broken, quiet voice and laid his head down on the floor. Tears were falling from his eyes, blinding his vision and wetting his face, but it hurt too much to move his hand to wipe them away, so Akihito let them fall and concentrated on breathing trough the pain. 

***

The next time Akihito opened his eyes it was already dark. His body was still throbbing with pain and his muscles had stiffened from sleeping on the cold floor. His head hurt so badly Akihito wanted to sob and every breath made him feel as though his lungs might actually be punctured by the broken rib. Sitting up slowly, he tried to move his arms very carefully to warm up the muscles a little and get the blood flowing. While trying to look around in the dark room he noticed that someone had left food on the floor, a ready-made bento meal and a bottle of juice. 

He could not hear any sounds from outside, but that didn’t mean that the men were gone. They could just be sitting in the other room, quietly. For a moment Akihito considered crawling to the window and peeking out, but what good would that do? And even if there was no one there, he was in no condition to try and break open the door. 

Akihito moved his hand closer to his face and peered at his digital watch. It was 8:30 p.m. Where was Sakazaki? Where was Asami? 

After finishing the food Akihito felt the headache ease up a little. He rubbed his shoulders and stretched his legs cautiously to see if there were any broken bones. 

Suddenly a tiny sound from the corner of the room caught his attention. Trying to locate the sound Akihito noticed movement under the broken armchair. A tiny kitten with a furry head and two slanted eyes was peeking from under the chair. Akihito scraped some crumbs from the bottom of the bento box and put them on the floor near the kitten. After sniffing the air for a while the tiny kitten quietly padded closer to the food. It was very thin and its fur was matted and dirty. It looked like it might have fleas, but it was hard to tell in the near complete darkness of the small room. It definitely had an eye-infection, that much was clear from the swollen eyes and the goo around them. 

“Hi kitty,” Akihito tried to make himself sound as non-threatening as possible, which really didn’t take a lot of effort in his current condition.  
“Meow,” the kitten meowed plaintively and sniffed Akihito’s outstretched arm.   
Somehow the sight of the starving little kitten made Akihito feel even worse.  
“Come here,” ignoring the shooting pain in his ribcage Akihito carefully lifted the little kitten up and brought it close to his chest. Meowing and wiggling the kitten tried to get away at first, but soon it sensed that Akihito was not trying to harm her and burrowing closer to Akihito it purred weakly. 

“You’ll see, we’ll get out of here and I’ll take you home with me. We’ll get you cleaned and I will buy you the softest bed I can find and the tastiest food to fill your little tummy. And we’ll live happily ever after. Don’t you worry, Asami will find us soon and everything will be all right.” Whispering comforting words and petting the little kitten Akihito sat on the floor in the gleam of the pale moonlight. Together they listened to the grasshoppers chirring and frogs croaking in the summer night.

***

“Asami-sama, we have searched through every single one of Sakazaki’s properties listed in the files and destroyed them all.” Kirishima spoke to Asami who was facing away from him and standing in front of the window in his office.  
“We’ve also interrogated 47 people in total, that have had or may have had any dealings with him. And so far we’ve come up with nothing. I’ve also checked with the newspaper Akihito worked for and they have assured me he is not on a business trip, though that was pretty clear from the beginning.”   
Giving bad news to Asami was not something Kirishima wanted to do, but lying was an even worse alternative. 

There was a knock on the door and Kirishima moved to open it.  
One of their men, a young and eager man in his twenties, was standing behind it holding a stack of CDs in his hands.  
“Kirishima-san, here are the surveillance recordings Asami-sama asked for.”   
Looking at the young man from across the room, Asami said,  
“Take five men with you and watch all the recordings. Start from this morning at quarter to ten. Look at the recordings made near the apartment. You will see Akihito exit the building and you can start to follow him from there. Sakazaki took him when he was out on his own. I want to know how, where and who was with him.”  
“Yes, sir.” The man left taking the CDs with him.

“Asami-sama, maybe you should go home and get some rest. The men are now watching the recordings and will notify us immediately if they find something. There is nothing you can do until we find out where Akihito is being held. All of our men are working on it, we’ll have results soon.”  
“I guess you’re right,” Asami sighed. He looked like he’d been staying up for 36 hours straight.  
“But the same goes for you, Kirishima.” Asami tapped his right-hand man on the shoulder and together they walked out of the office turning off the lights and closing the door behind them.

After being driven home by Kirishima, Asami took a long shower, but put his mobile phone on the bathroom counter so he would hear it, should it ring. But the phone stayed silent. 

As Asami walked to his bedroom he saw Akihito’s things everywhere. The photo album they had been looking at together, the camera lens that Akihito had been cleaning the day before on the sideboard, a pale blue t-shirt left hanging over a chair at the dining room table, his boxer shorts that he had forgotten on the floor beside Asami’s bed and the book he’d been reading lying on the nightstand.

Lying in his big bed, under the soft, gray cotton sheets, Asami stared at the ceiling in the shadowy room. The city outside his windows was alight with flashing neon-lights and millions of people making endless noise, music, talking, cars honking their horns, screaming and laughing. But inside Asami’s large bedroom it was silent and lonely.


	12. Chapter 12

Asami was startled from his sleep by a classical melody coming from his mobile. Fumbling in the dark he switched on the light on the nightstand and grabbed his phone. It was Kirishima.

“What did you find?” Asami didn’t bother with formalities. The clock on the nightstand told him it was 2:59 in the morning and he knew Kirishima would not be calling him at this hour if he didn’t have important news.  
“The men saw Akihito on a recording leaving the building at 10:52 and head south. He was out jogging. They were able to locate him on another recording near the park and from there he continued to jog southeast before a white van pulled over right next to him and he was dragged in the van. We have a license plate, Asami-sama. My contact at the registrar is checking it as we speak. It’s a Tokyo license plate from Hachioji and it’s a private vehicle. I should have the owners name in a couple of minutes. Oh, wait, he’s trying to call me right now. Please, stay on the line, and I’ll be able to give you the information right away.” Asami stayed silent as he heard clicking noises on the phone, which told him that Kirishima was now speaking with his contact. 

Pulling on his clothes with one hand Asami waited for Kirishima to finish the other call. 

“Asami-sama, the vehicle is registered to one Kubo Jirou. He’s a small-time criminal, with a few prior convictions, most likely he is one of Sakazaki’s henchmen.”  
“Do you have his address?”  
“Yes, but I don’t think they are holding Akihito at his place as it is a one-room apartment in a big apartment building located very near the city center. It would be too risky to keep a hostage there. But I also got hold of his parents address, his father is dead, but his mother has a house in Hachioji-shi, in the Kasumimachi district, on road 186. It’s a relatively quiet place with shabby houses, storage yards and such. It would be a good place to hide someone.”  
“Come and get me. And have the men drive near the location. But nobody is to make a move before I get there, is that understood?”  
“Yes, Asami-sama.”

After putting down the phone, Asami put on his black cargo pants, a black t-shirt, strapped on his double shoulder holster and an ankle strap for his combat knife and zipped up his black jacket. 

There was no way to know for sure if Akihito really was held at Kubo’s mother’s house, but they had already gone through every place Sakazaki owned, had owned or had ever visited. They’d also searched the locations of his known associates. Asami was sure Sakazaki would not want to travel too far from the Tokyo area, because his club and his home, or what was left of them, were both located there. The message he’d left Asami also made it clear that he expected to make a deal with Asami in person.

Asami walked out of the building with Suoh just as Kirishima pulled up at the front entrance.   
“We have fourteen men waiting at highway 411. One of them, Miyashi, is familiar with the area. He told me that unless Sakazaki has men on the lookout, we should be able to get very near Kubo’s house without anybody noticing. There are a lot of bushes, trees and other things that block the view.”  
“Do you think he could be that stupid, to not have anyone on the lookout?” Asami asked.  
“Well, he is stupid, but I don’t know if he’s that stupid…”

The three men sat in quiet contemplation for the rest of the ride. When they arrived at the place where the rest of the men were waiting, they signaled them to get into their cars and follow Asami's car.  
The convoy turned to road 186 and drove past a moped workshop, a school and storage yards of construction companies. After about five minutes Kirishima stopped the car.  
“Kubo’s mother’s house is just behind that next curve,” he said pointing ahead.

The tree of them got out of the car and the other men in the two other cars followed suit. The group gathered at the side of the road surrounding Asami.  
“Ten of you,” Asami pointed at the men, “will get off the road here and go west, from where you will approach the house. Me, Kirishima, Suoh and the rest of you will continue on this road and approach it from the southeast.”  
One of the men lifted their hands.  
“Yes, Tano?”

The man seemed to almost afraid to address Asami, as most of his men usually didn’t deal directly with him. But hearing Asami call him by his name seemed to give him the courage to clear his throat, bow his head and ask:  
“I know that there is a possibility that Akihito-san is being held inside the house, but do we have any more information on who else might be there? And what are your orders concerning any other persons we might find there, Asami-sama?”   
“Kirishima, show them the picture,” Asami said.  
Kirishima pulled Sakazaki’s picture out of his pocket and let the men pass it around so that everybody could see it.  
“This man is Sakazaki. I want him captured alive. I will take Akihito, but if need be, I want you to protect him until I get there. The rest of them you can kill on site. Any other questions?”  
The men all shook their heads.   
“Good, we will hit at precisely zero four two-five. Check your watches.”

After hiding their cars in a storage yard right next to them, the men scattered into the woods all dressed in combat wear and three of them carrying a machine gun. Asami, Kirishima, Suoh and four other men continued down the road on foot. Carefully and slowly they neared the house, ready to spring in to action at the first sight of Sakazaki or his men. Every few meters or so, they stopped to listen and scan their surroundings for any movement, but apparently Sakazaki genuinely believed there was no way Asami would be able to find him and didn’t have anyone on the lookout. 

The house Kubo’s mother lived in was, simply put, a shack. The walls were made of corrugated aluminum sheets and the front yard – if one could even call it such – was full of trash.   
Peeking over a low stonewall at the house and the garden, Asami could see movement and he knew that his men on the other side of the house were ready. Asami took out his gun and readied himself for the attack.

The time was zero four two-three. 

***

Sitting on a wooden chair and resting his hands on a dirty table covered with dozens of empty beer bottles, Sakazaki stared at the wall of the little room that had been built right next to the one Akihito was being held in. Kubo’s mother was in the last stages of breast cancer and the upkeep of his house had fallen on Kubo’s shoulders, but housekeeping was not among the things that interested him and so the house had slowly started to fall apart. 

Kubo himself and Higashi had both long since fallen asleep on the floor and were now snoring loudly. Sakazaki was not able to sleep. Over and over again he played the events of the past two days in his head. He’d lost everything. The club, his most prized possession, his little tobacco shop, the perfect front for drug dealing, his sports car, and his house on the outskirts of the city center. All of it, burned to the ground. All of his money was gone and now the police was after him… Though that was the least of his worries. Sakazaki knew that he could consider himself lucky if the police got to him before the people who’s names had also been in his computer were able to find him. 

How had he ended up here, in this filthy little shack, hiding and fearing for his life? Akihito’s picture popped up in his head. The day that blasted boy had come to his club asking all sorts of questions as if he was some big time reporter. He’d known who the boy was from the first time he’d seen him. The word on the street was that Akihito Takaba was Asami Ryuichi’s lover and off-limits to everybody else. 

Sakazaki knew that Asami Ryuichi was the head of a large criminal syndicate and that he operated on a whole other level than Sakazaki. Even small-time criminals and ridiculous wannabe gangsters knew that touching the personal property of a man like Asami Ryuichi was something that you just didn’t do. But Sakazaki had been worried that the information Akihito was after was going to come back biting him in the ass and he wanted to make sure that Akihito would have a good reason to keep their little talk a secret from Asami. 

And, if he were to be honest with himself, another part of him, a very substantial part, found the thought of playing with Asami’s little boy toy simply too irresistible to resist. He envied Asami, always had, ever since he realized that he himself would never be able to obtain a rank like his. He would never have an entire army of men at his disposal, or an empire of his own. He simply wasn’t cut out for it. Forcing Akihito to perform a blowjob on him had been like flipping the bird at Asami, a small “fuck you”. 

But he should have known that a man like Asami would never let a transgression like that go unpunished. He couldn’t. The criminal underworld was like a pack of hyenas, all waiting for someone to show even the slightest sign of weakness. So, in a way Sakazaki could actually understand that Asami really had no choice. But the sheer magnitude of Asami’s wrath had taken him by surprise. He’d never thought that a man like Asami would go to such lengths to retrieve a lover. 

“Maybe he really does love him,” Sakazaki said out loud, but the only answer he received was the snoring sounds of Higashi and Kubo. 

Right after the words had left his mouth, he heard a noise from outside. Footsteps. Sakazaki knew instantly that the time had come. Somehow Asami had found him and was now here, waiting for him. 

Checking his gun, Sakazaki dusted the sleeves of his jacket, adjusted his pants, took a deep breath and opened the door to the front yard.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tomorrow I will post the last chapter of this story. It's a relatively long chapter, but I thought that you'd rather read it all in one go than wait for another day. Hope you like this new chapter! :)

Holding his gun and straining his ears to detect any sounds, Asami crept closer to the house. When he reached the door closest to him, he signaled to his men that they were to take the other door. One of the men had found a ladder leaning on the north wall and was now quietly climbing up on the roof the keep an eye on anyone trying to escape. 

But right at that moment the door furthest from Asami opened and a dark figure could be seen in the dim light coming from the room behind him. The figure opened his mouth as if to say something, but before he was able to utter a sound, five men, all dressed in black and moving soundlessly in unison, lunged at him. Pushing Sakazaki down on the floor, they gagged and bound him with cable ties. The only sound that could be heard was heavy breathing. 

Quietly and efficiently the men moved on to the other two men sleeping soundly on the floor. Making hand signals to each other they seemed to reach an agreement over something and one of them pointed his gun, equipped with a silencer, at Kubo’s temple and pulled the trigger. After that he did the same to Higoshi. 

After securing the premises three of the men ran back to the cars and drove them up to the house turning them around so that they were ready for a quick departure. Three men carried Sakazaki quickly to the car and locked him in the trunk.

The time was zero four two-nine.

With his men busy in the other room, Asami kicked down the door closest to him and entered with his gun held high.

At first he wasn't able to detect any movement in the room, but then he noticed a small figure huddling in the corner. 

“Akihito?” Asami said in a calm voice, but with his gun still aimed.  
“A- Asami?” a small voice answered him and the figure slowly crawled a little closer.  
Asami quickly holstered his gun and crouched down next to Akihito.

“You c- came f- for me!” Akihito’s voice was breathy and thick with emotion. He tried to sit up and put his arms around Asami, but the shooting pain in his ribcage and bruised body made him wince. Even in the dark Asami could see the bruises on Akihito’s arms and neck. Growling subvocally, he carefully picked Akihito up in his arms.  
“It’s over now. I’ve got you,” he whispered in Akihito’s ear and tightened his grip on the trembling boy.

Feeling Asami’s strong arms wrap around him Akihito burst into tears. Hiccupping and sobbing uncontrollably he wrapped his arms around Asami’s shoulder heedless of the pain.   
“You…ca- came…for m- me!”  
“Did you ever doubt it?”

But Akihito was crying too hard to be able to answer. Tightening his grip on Akihito’s shaking body, Asami kissed Akihito on the cheek and started to rub his back in a soothing motion, while standing in the middle of the dark room.  
Kirishima, who had been standing in the doorway, turned around and waited silently.

After a while Akihito seemed to have calmed down somewhat, though he was still sniffling and holding on to Asami tightly. 

“Are you ready to go home?” Asami bent his head back a little to be able to see Akihito’s face.  
“Y- yes…” Akihito answered while trying to dry his eyes with his shirt. But suddenly he seemed to remember something.  
“Wait! The kitten!” Turning his head, he tried to look around in the room as though searching for something.   
“The what?”  
“The kitten! We have to take it with us, Asami!” Akihito cried frantically.   
“We are not taking a-“  
“Asami, we c- can’t leave her here, she’s s- starving and sick!” Akihito looked at Asami pleadingly, tears staring to fall again.   
“Fine.” Asami grumbled and gave a tiny nod to Kirishima who walked over to the corner and picked up the tiny kitten.   
“Now can we go?”  
“Yes. Thank you.” Akihito leaned his head on Asami’s shoulder and breathed in his scent. He never wanted to let go. 

Asami carried Akihito to the waiting car. After handing the meowing little kitten to a confused Suoh, Kirishima started the car. 

The time was zero four four-zero.

***

After the three cars were long gone, a tiny clicking sound could be heard in the room where Akihito had been locked up and a silent fuse, equipped with a timer, went off. After a few minutes the whole room was engulfed in flames that quickly spread to the other room, setting the whole house on fire.

***

“You are going to the hospital and that is the end of it.” Asami carried a worried Akihito through the sliding glass doors of the hospital’s main entrance.  
“But the kitten…!”  
“Suoh will take care of it.” Asami’s voice was gruff and brooked absolutely no objections.  
“Promise?” Akihito held on to Asami’s shoulders and looked at him with big eyes.  
Asami gave him a look that made Akihito blush a little, but then the he sighed happily and rubbed his face on Asami’s shoulder.

Akihito was taken to a scan to assess if he had any internal injuries or a brain injury, but apart from the cracked rib and a hairline fracture on his left ankle, there were no other internal injuries or broken bones. After an additional x-ray of the foot, the doctors stabilized his ankle with a brace and he was given strict orders to rest the foot for at least two weeks and told to use walking crutches. The cracked rib would heal on its own. The bruising, substantial as it was, would also have to heal on its own. Akihito was given a prescription for pain medication and ordered to take it very easy for the next few weeks. 

Just to be sure, the doctors wanted to keep Akihito overnight in the hospital for observation, but Akihito insisted on being taken home. Kirishima saved the doctors private mobile phone number on his own mobile and on Asami’s, in case of an emergency and then the three of them left the hospital, with a tired and hungry Akihito still being carried by Asami. 

***

The next three days passed in a blur for Akihito. He had only vague recollections of being carried to the shower a few times, of Asami washing him, bringing him food and feeding him. He also remembered waking up a couple of times from a nightmare, only to be pulled back under the covers by a strong arm wrapping around him and a soothing voice whispering reassuring words that he could not remember anymore. But most of the time Akihito slept, falling in a deep, dreamless sleep. Waking up felt like resurfacing from underwater, like breathing for the first time in a long time. 

His body needed the rest to recuperate from the injuries and trauma, and the medication he had been given made Akihito feel like he was floating on a cloud of warm, fuzzy feelings. 

***

On the third day Akihito woke up, feeling truly awake for the first time for what felt like weeks. The clock on the nightstand informed him that it was almost half past seven in the evening. The sky outside the big windows had already turned lilac, pink and golden. 

Groaning, Akihito got up from the bed and carefully made his way to the bedroom door with the help of his crutch. He could hear sounds coming from the other room, someone was talking in a low voice.

“Now, you have to eat all the food to get healthy and strong, otherwise Takaba will be very angry with me.” 

Akihito stared incredulously at the sight. Near the kitchen was Asami, crouched down on the floor, feeding a little kitten. The kitten clearly had not gotten the hang of it, judging by the way it kept meowing pitifully and trying to suck at the bottle at the same time.  
“It’s right here, just drink it,” Asami held the nipple close to the kitten’s mouth.

Stifling a hysterical giggle Akihito limped closer until Asami noticed him.  
“You’re up. How are you feeling?”  
“Fine,” Akihito smiled and continued laughing, “How is the kitten? I see that you two have gotten close already.”  
Ignoring Akihito’s laughter, Asami continued to feed the little kitten that was now happily and noisily sucking the formula from the bottle.  
“Kirishima took her to the vet and she’s been cleaned of fleas and is now on antibiotics and worm medicine.”  
“Thank you.” Akihito bowed down to plant a kiss on Asami’s forehead.   
“Go sit on the couch, I’ll bring you food. Are you in any pain?” Asami nodded in the direction of the couch in the living room.  
“Just a little, nothing I can’t handle.”

After the kitten had finished the bottle, Asami wiped its wet face with a paper towel, despite the kittens loud protesting, and put the bottle in the washing machine. Giving a tiny sound of contentment the kitten padded over to a soft and big cat bed that had been placed near the couch and climbed in it. 

For a short while it looked at Akihito curiously, but then its eyelids began to droop and curling up in a little ball it fell asleep almost instantly. It was then that Akihito noticed the multitude of cat toys scattered around the living room floor and the additional cat bed – with a pink blanket – in the kitchen corner and the scratching post near the hallway. He wondered if Kirishima had bought them. 

“Lay back.” Asami set a tray with a bowl of soup on the table in front of the sofa.

Akihito knew what Asami wanted to do and lay back on the sofa pillows, letting his crutch fall on the floor. Asami got on his knees on the floor next to him and pulled up Akihito’s t-shirt. Sliding his fingers over Akihito’s belly, chest and sides he examined the bruises carefully, stopping to look at each one. Akihito knew that Asami needed to assess the healing process himself. The thought that someone had beaten Akihito and that he had not been there to put an end to it was bothering Asami, more than he let on. Akihito allowed Asami to turn him to lie on his side, so that he could see the bruises on his back.

“How is your rib feeling?”  
“A bit better. It still hurts, but the medication is really helping. “  
“Mmmh.”

Asami helped Akihito to lie on his back again and pulled down his shirt. Taking a hold of his pajama pants he pulled them completely off with Akihito lifting his hips a little to help. He understood that this was just something Asami had to do and he let Asami spread his legs to look at the bruises on his thighs.   
“And your ankle?”  
“It doesn’t really hurt, unless I try to put my weight on it. I guess I still need to use the crutches, for a while at least. So that the fracture can heal properly.”  
“Kirishima informed the newspaper about your…accident. They said that they’ll be happy to take you back after you’ve recovered.”  
“Thanks.” Akihito could feel his cheeks blush. 

After all, if he hadn’t gone out on his own, again, none of this would ever had happened. Sometimes Akihito felt that his main job in life was just to get into trouble, so that Asami could save him, over and over again.

“I’m sorry, Asami. I didn’t mean to get into trouble again. I just… I never thought that Sakazaki would, could, do something like this. Thank you for saving me, again.”  
Nodding his head in acknowledgement, Asami stood up.   
“Put your pants back on, I’ll bring you some tea.”

Akihito pulled on his pants and listened to the sounds coming from the kitchen. 

“You have to name her,” Asami’s voice came from the kitchen behind the wall.  
“What? Name who?”  
“The kitten.”  
“Oh… I hadn’t even thought about that. You haven’t named her yet?”  
“Well, she is your kitten. You wanted her.”  
“Okay. Hmmm…. Let me see.” Akihito looked at the sleeping kitten. It had brown, white and gray coloring, cute pink paws and fluffy ears. It looked absolutely adorable.   
“What about Mi, because she’s so beautiful?”

Asami walked over to the sofa carrying a tray, shrugging his shoulders as he set the mug down on the table.  
“I’m fine with it.”  
“Okay, Mi it is then. Our little Mi-chan.”  
“Make sure you eat all the food. Being a new mother you’re going to need the extra energy.”  
“What!? I am not a mother!” Akihito sputtered, the smile on Asami’s lips making him feel even more disgruntled.  
“Well, I’m certainly not the mother either. Now, eat.” Asami pointed at the tray.   
“Maybe I will, maybe I won’t.” Akihito muttered rebelliously under his breath and waited until Asami had gone back to the kitchen before picking up his chopsticks. 

After eating all the food, Akihito decided it was time for a shower. With the help of his crutch he limped to the bathroom. Sitting on a little stool Akihito let the warm water wash over him. The bruises on his body had taken on the color of mustard and plum and made him look like he’d had paint splattered all over his body. But compared to the cracked rib and hairline fracture on his ankle, they were relatively harmless. Luckily the pain medication took most of the pain away and made breathing with a cracked rib easier. But it would still take at least two weeks before he could even think about hopping on his Vespa again. That was, if Asami would ever again allow him to venture outside the apartment. 

Still, Akihito couldn’t find it in him to blame Asami. Asami knew and understood people like Sakazaki better and had known that something like this could happen. He’d just wanted to protect Akihito. Seeing Asami walk in that small, dirty room where he’d been held imprisoned, had been like a dream. A wave of relief and happiness had flowed over him. He’d been so scared that Sakazaki would hurt him even more, or kill him, or Asami. 

Speaking of Sakazaki, Akihito thought, where was he? What had Asami done with him? Akihito remembered Asami telling him a while ago that before he asked any questions, he should make sure he wanted to hear the answer. Akihito wasn’t sure he really wanted to know what had happened to Sakazaki. Yes, the man deserved to be punished, for what he’d done, but in Akihito’s mind punishment usually meant being sent to prison, whereas in Asami’s mind it probably meant something entirely different. 

“Are you ready?” Asami’s question roused Akihito from his musings and he turned off the water. Holding a big towel Asami walked over to Akihito and wrapped it around him. Rubbing vigorously Asami dried him until Akihito squealed and batted his hands away. 

“Back to bed.” Asami said hanging the towel on a hook.  
“But I’m fine, I thought we could… Okay, I’m going, I’m going.” Akihito lifted his hands in a surrendering gesture after Asami gave him a look that made it very clear Akihito was not in a position to disobey. 

Limping back to bed Akihito put on fresh underwear and pulled the covers over him. It only took a few minutes before sleep claimed him once again.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is, the final chapter. Thank you all very much for your kind words and encouraging feedback. I hope you like the ending. :)

A black Mercedes drove past several abandoned, big warehouses until it reached the end of the road. From the car three men in black suits emerged and walked over to a dark green warehouse and its door. Though seemingly abandoned long time ago, the door had a new lock, a high-tech digital lock. Right behind the door was a staircase leading downwards. At the bottom of the staircase, behind another locked door, the air was cold and there was an unmistakable smell of mold. 

The underground passageway was dimly lit by flickering lights that shed their weak light on the three men walking towards the other end of the passageway, where a fourth man stood waiting for them in front of a heavy steel door. When the three men reached the end of the passageway, he turned around and fitting a key in the lock, opened the heavy door slowly. 

On of the men, the tallest one, with broad shoulders and dark hair combed back, walked through the doorway into a small room with concrete walls. The man's movements were fluid and precise at the same time. Like a predator approaching its prey in the jungle.

In the middle of the room was a steel chair, the only piece of furniture in the room, and the man sat on it, leaning back. In his hands he had a water bottle. Tilting his head a little, but showing no emotions, he looked at the figure hunched in the corner of the room. Hearing the door opening, the figure had begun to make quiet sounds of distress. Now he was looking at the man sitting in front of him with a look of horror etched on his bruised face. 

Asami looked at Sakazaki’s trembling form. Without his trendy glasses, shiny costume and a smirk on his face, he looked like the man he truly was. A weak and scared man, who had gotten himself involved in a game far beyond his level. 

“Please… please… help me…” Sakazaki’s voice was croaky from endless crying. His face was heavily bruised and his left ankle was twisted in an unnatural angle.

Ignoring his words, Asami spoke in a toneless voice,  
“I’ve come to make you an offer.”

Sakazaki’s face seemed to light up with the tiniest glimpse of hope.

Pulling a small bottle of pills from his pocket, Asami held it up for Sakazaki to see.   
“You can take these, all of them, right now, or…”  
“Yes…?” Sakazaki asked, though he didn’t really look like he wanted to hear the answer.  
“Or you can stay here, in this room. Alone. Until you… die.” Asami continued in the same toneless voice, shrugging his shoulders, as if he really didn’t care one way or the other.   
“Please… You can’t… I’m sorry, so so sorry, please…” On hearing Asami’s words Sakazaki had begun to cry silently. Pleadingly he looked at Asami. 

But seeing the emotionless mien of the man in front of him, Sakazaki seemed to understand that there really would be no mercy. Slumping, like the last string holding him together had finally broken, he lifted his hand with the palm turned upwards.

Getting up from the chair, Asami put the bottle of pills in Sakazaki’s hand and the water bottle on the floor in front of his bent knees. 

With slow and shaky movements, like he could barely understand what he was doing, Sakazaki opened the bottle and poured the small, white pills on his palm. Lifting his head, he looked Asami in the eyes like a man drowning in sorrow.

“What do you have to live for anymore?” Asami said looking at him.

Lifting his shaking hand, Sakazaki tipped the pills in his mouth and reached for the water bottle. Tears streaking down his face he drank from the bottle until it was half empty. After he couldn’t drink anymore, he let the bottle fall on the floor. 

Both men sat quietly, Asami on the chair and Sakazaki on the floor, for a few minutes. The room was completely silent, not a sound could be heard form the other side of the door. 

But suddenly Sakazaki’s face twisted in pain and he grabbed his chest. He opened and closed his mouth, as though unable to breathe. Gasping and with pained, guttural sounds coming from his mouth he started to slide down on the floor. When he was lying down, he turned his face towards Asami and reached out with his hand towards him.

“P- p- please… ho- hold m- my hand… un- until…it’s over…”  
But Asami stayed silent and unmoved, his face like a mask chiseled from marble.

After a few minutes Sakazaki took three gurgling breaths and made an almost inaudible whining sound. His body jerked once and then… nothing. He was gone.

Asami got up from the chair and walked to the door and opened it.   
“Take the body to a dump,” he said to the man who had been guarding the door. 

With Kirishima and Suoh right behind him, Asami walked away. 

***

Asami opened the door to his apartment and was greeted by the sound of Akihito’s laughter coming from the living room. Instantly he could feel the tension in his body begin to ease. Seeing Sakazaki, even if it was for the last time, had not been a pleasant experience. 

Dropping his keys in an antique porcelain bowl on the small table in the hallway, he took off his jacket and shoes.

“Asami?” came Akihito’s voice.  
“Asami! Guess what Mi-chan did?! Guess what she did?” Akihito came around the corner in a hurry, though he was still limping, holding the kitten in his arms.  
“She used the scratching post for the first time!” Akihito exclaimed enthusiastically, clearly waiting for Asami to sing his praises.  
“That’s… great.”  
“And, she chased the toy mouse! She’s so smart and cute.” Akihito chattered happily and petted the kitten affectionately.  
“Have you eaten anything?” Asami asked the enthralled Akihito.  
“Me? Oh, no. I’ve been playing with Mi-chan all day. But she drank the whole bottle. The whole bottle!” 

Shaking his head and sighing, Asami picked up his mobile and dialed the number of a restaurant. It was becoming very clear to him that taking care of himself was not, and probably never would be, Akihito’s strong suit. 

Cooing to the kitten Akihito limped around the apartment carrying Mi with him and showing her all the rooms and the view from the window. Mi-chan responded with an appropriate meow whenever she saw something interesting.

“Isn’t she smart?” Akihito asked Asami, face beaming with happiness.   
“Sit down, you need to rest your leg. And where are your crutches?”  
“Oh, I left them somewhere,” Akihito answered absentmindedly sitting down on the couch.   
“Asami, can we get her a harness and take her out for a walk?”  
“Not until she’s older.” Asami unbuttoned his vest and loosened his tie, sitting down next to Akihito.  
“Did you hear that, Mi-chan? We’re going to take you out for a walk!”  
“Meow!”  
“Oh! You’re so cute! Isn’t she cute, Asami?”  
Leaning his back on Asami, Akihito gently petted the little kitten in his lap. Very soon a purring sound could be heard and the little kitten closed her eyes, falling asleep.

***

“Akihito, no.”  
“But she’s crying! Look! She’s so tiny and alone!”  
“Akihito, we are not going to let her sleep on the bed. She has three perfectly good beds for herself. I do not want my bed filled with cat hair.”  
“Oh, how much hair can a little kitten like that shed? Now you’re just being silly.” Akihito lifted Mi off the floor and put her on the bed.   
The little kitten padded around the bed, hopping over the crumpled bed covers and sniffing the pillows, before settling down next to a big, plushy pillow and yawning.

“Just for a few nights, until Mi-chan gets used to her new home,” Akihito said petting the purring little kitten.   
“See how happy she is now? You can’t make her sleep on the floor. That would be cruel.” Akihito smiled widely as the kitten closed its eyes and rolled on its back baring her round, full tummy. 

It was late in the night and Asami’s bedroom was almost dark, the only light source a wall lamp just outside the door. Asami was lying on his back with Akihito snuggling close to him.

“Let her sleep and look at me.”   
“Hmm?” Akihito turned to look at Asami.  
“Listen to me carefully,” Asami spoke in a calm voice, “I don’t want you to do something like this ever again. No more running out on your own. I can ask my men to keep some distance when they are watching after you, but in return you have to promise not to ever run away on your own.”  
Looking very remorseful, Akihito dropped his gaze.  
“I promise. I’m so sorry, Asami, I don’t mean to cause you any trouble, I just-“  
“I know, I know. You just want your freedom. But you don’t know these people like I do. You don’t know what they are capable of, so you are just going to have to trust me on this.” Lifting Akihito to lie on top of him, Asami wrapped his arms around him.  
“I promise. And thank you for… saving me.” Akihito let his head rest on Asami’s chest, his favorite place in the whole world.   
“Because, you see… Someday I might not be able to get to you in time. And I… don’t want that to happen.”   
Tightening his grip on Akihito, Asami whispered in his ear,  
“Because you are my everything and because I love you.”

Akihito lifted his head looking Asami straight in to his eyes.   
“I- I-,” he stammered, but Asami lifted his head and kissed Akihito on the lips. It was a gentle and sweet kiss that made Akihito blush.

After they broke the kiss they looked at each other silently for a long while. Akihito felt Asami’s chest rise with each breath and his heart beat under the hot skin and he saw the long, black lashes casting shadows on his cheekbones.

Then Akihito slid down on the bed, his eyes never leaving Asami’s. Lifting his hand he pointed at his lips and Asami kissed them again, softly. When Asami lifted his head, Akihito moved his finger to his shoulder and again Asami kissed it gently. Akihito moved his finger from his shoulder to his neck, chest and finally his belly and Asami kissed all the places Akihito’s finger touched. 

“Hold me,” Akihito’s voice was a barely audible whisper. 

Bracing himself on his elbow, Asami pulled down his and Akihito’s pajama pants, carefully sliding Akihito’s over his ankle brace. Easing back onto the sheets, he pulled Akihito close, lifting one leg over Akihito’s shorter legs and wrapping his arm tightly around his lean form. 

Feeling Asami’s hot skin pressed against his own Akihito could feel himself blush all along his body. Asami let his hand slide along Akihito’s back to his bottom. Akihito ran his fingers along Asami’s side and back, feeling the muscles move under his fingertips. Asami was tall and his body was finely chiseled by years of martial arts training. His skin always felt hot to the touch. Whimpering, Akihito placed small kittenlike licks along his chest and neck, nibbling at the skin with small, pinprick like bites.

“What do you want?” Asami’s low, husky voice startled him a little, but then he looked up at Asami, smiling dreamily. Asami’s eyes were gleaming golden in the shadowy room and Akihito felt like he was watching into the eyes of a dragon.

My own dragon, Akihito thought, producing a tiny sound of contentment.  
“Take me. Make me yours and never let me go,” he whispered.

Growling, Asami bit Akihito on the pulse point in his neck, hard. With a dazed expression on his face Akihito felt his senses become intoxicated from sheer pleasure and whimpering quietly he nuzzled at Asami’s throat and rubbed his face on Asami’s chest as if he was trying to cover himself in Asami’s scent. 

Turning a little, unwilling to let go of Akihito even for a second, Asami reached for the nightstand drawer and took out the bottle of lube Akihito had put there. Opening the bottle with one hand, he dipped his fingers in the liquid and closed the bottle, tossing it aside.

Changing their positions so that Akihito’s leg rested over his own, Asami kissed Akihito on the lips and slid his fingers between his cheeks. He could feel Akihito tremble when he pushed his fingers inside him.  
“Relax,” he said in a quiet voice, pulling his fingers out and pushing them in again. 

Moaning against Asami’s lips Akihito willed his muscles to relax. He’d longed for Asami’s touch for so many days, that now that they were here and Asami was holding him, it almost felt like too much. But Asami was gentle and moved his fingers slowly in and out, spreading them, searching for his prostate. His mouth was tracing a line of kisses from his neck to his collarbones and from there back up again to his cheek and lips. 

Feeling his muscles relax a little, Akihito started to roll his hips and pushing against the fingers, wanting more, needing more.

“Lay on you back,” Asami instructed him, getting up on his knees.  
Akihito obeyed quickly and lifted his legs up, spreading them and bending his knees.  
“Please… Asami, I need you…” Akihito’s voice was a breathy moan and he tried to lift his hips up to entice Asami to hasten his actions. Positioning himself between Akihito’s spread legs, Asami braced himself on one hand and with the other he guided his lube-coated cock to Akihito’s wet, open hole and pushed it in.

Akihito felt Asami’s cock push past the muscle, opening him up and filling him to the brim. His legs trembled, but Asami was there to hold him and grabbing a hold of Akihito’s thighs, he thrust in again, deep.   
“A- Asami…” Akihito ran his hands all over Asami’s sweat-dewed body, feeling dazed and restless at the same time. Asami pushed his cock in again and pulled out, dragging it over his prostate, only to repeat it over and over again.  
“So good, so good…” Akihito warbled mindlessly, arching his back, welcoming Asami in his body.   
“Harder… Asami, I n- need…” Unable to formulate more words, Akihito hooked his arms around Asami’s shoulders and held on as Asami dove in to a quick pace.   
Holding on to each other they rocked together, hidden by the darkness. 

Akihito tried to lift himself up, to get closer to Asami, but pushing him down on the sheets, Asami said in a low voice,  
“Just lie down, I’ll take care of you.”

Locking his eyes with Akihito, Asami kept thrusting until Akihito began to wail, feeling his orgasm approaching. Wrapping his fingers around Akihito’s cock, Asami began to jack it fast. Akihito’s body began to tremble and his hips jerked on their own accord. Quickening his pace, Asami rutted in Akihito until he was wailing and squeezing Asami's shoulders with his fingers hard enough to leave marks.   
“A- Asami…! Ho- hold me!” Akihito cried as his legs trembled.  
“I’ve got you,” Asami whispered, “cum for me.” 

Crashing in to the white light, Akihito’s orgasm exploded all over his body leaving him shaking helplessly. Spurting warm ribbons of cum all over his belly, his muscles clenched around Asami’s cock, making him jerk.

Watching Akihito pant in the throes of his orgasm and feeling his body jerking uncontrollably Asami pushed in Akihito’s tight heat one last time, until he bent over, forcing Akihito to bend his legs in an almost uncomfortable position, and bit Akihito, hard, on the neck as he filled Akihito with his cum. 

Finally, after catching his breath, Asami eased up and let Akihito straighten his legs. Slipping his spent cock out of Akihito’s red and wet hole made Akihito whimper at the sudden sensation of emptiness. 

“I’ve got you,” Asami whispered and lying down on the bed, pulled Akihito on top of him like a heavy blanket. Rubbing his back and bottom in a soothing motion, he kissed Akihito on top of his head and temple, until he began to calm down. 

Yawning, Akihito rubbed his face on Asami’s chest, before settling down and closing his eyes.  
“Good thing we didn’t wake up Mi-chan,” he mumbled before drifting off to sleep.

Listening to Akihito’s peaceful breathing and the occasional tiny purring sound coming from the little kitten curled by his side, Asami looked at his two little kittens sleeping peacefully under his watchful eye. His family was back home.


End file.
